NILAI: Ten thousand student entrepreneurs from public universities and community colleges are targeted to receive RM20 million via the Higher Education Ministry (KPT)-National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (Tekun Nasional) cooperation this year.

Deputy Higher Education Minister, Datuk Dr Mansor Othman said the effort is to ensure students do not depend on employment after finishing their studies and on the other hand help create jobs.

"The fokus of KPT is the marketability of graduates especially with the application of entrepreneurship. Apart from the cooperation with Tekun, the ministry is also cooperating with other industries to expand the talent of students," he told reporters after visiting Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, (USIM) here.

Also present was USIM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin.

Mansor said through the allocation, each student can apply for a RM5,000 loan.

He also visited a prosumerism MD2 pineapple planting project carried out by USIM Sports Centre on an abandoned plot in Tunku Najihah Sports Complex in February last year.

-- BERNAMA