The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in early 2020 has had major impacts on social and economic life in every country, including Malaysia. Many socio-economic activities have been globally disrupted, leading to the closure of companies and the suspension of work activities, which have drastically increased the unemployment rate and narrowed employment opportunities. This study used a qualitative method to explore the initiatives taken by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and University Malaysia Sabah to improve the sustainability of graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era. The study sample comprised ten officers who are experienced and responsible for organising initiatives for university graduate employability programmes and ten students who participated in these programmes. The study showed that the Short-Term Training and Placement Programme (MySTEP), Career Advancement Programme (Penjana CAP), Professional Certification Programme (Penjana PACE), and Career Advancement Programme at State (Penjana KPT-CAP @ State) were the major initiatives taken by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education to improve graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era. The findings also revealed that the university undertook initiatives regarding upskilling and reskilling, the gig economy, entrepreneurship, finishing school programmes, and online career fairs to improve graduate employability rates in the post-COVID-19 era. Interviews with student respondents showed that these initiatives have given them the opportunity to learn and improve on new skills that are necessary to find new job opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era. The main contribution of this study is that upskilling and reskilling programmes are essential to improving the sustainability of graduate employability in the post-COVID-19 era.

The purpose of this study is to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and big data can be used to solve the twin issues of athlete safety and sports event quality in a college sports environment. Furthermore, this study attempts to fill the literature vacuum regarding the application and effectiveness of artificial intelligence and big data in improving safety and quality in collegiate sports administration by investigating possible synergies between these elements and the implementation of developed technologies. This qualitative study used a sampling method to conduct in-depth interviews with 18 sports administrators and commentators. Using coding and classification methods, the data were evaluated thematically with a focus on artificial intelligence and big data applications. Research has found that artificial intelligence and big data play a key role in proactively reducing injuries, optimizing athlete performance and enabling data-driven decision-making. It also identifies barriers and opportunities for integrating these technologies, revealing their dynamic potential. This study provides new perspectives on the relationship between safety and quality and the application of artificial intelligence and big data in collegiate sports management. It also highlights the ways in which these technologies have transformative potential in sport. The findings have important implications for educational programs and policy development aimed at managing responsible technology integration and preparing future professionals in the field of sport management.

Background and Study Aim. Static and dynamic balance performance are fundamental skills that can exhibit significant differences between genders and are critically important in motor skills and sports science. The aim of this study was to compare the static and dynamic balance performance of sports science students by gender. Material and Methods. Ten male students (age: 22.70 ± 1.33 years) and ten female students (age: 23.00 ± 1.05 years) studying in the sports science faculty voluntarily participated in the study. The Biodex Balance System (BBS, Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY) was utilized to assess balance performance. Independent samples t-test and paired t-test were conducted for analysis using SPSS. Results. In intergroup comparisons, static and dynamic balance performances were similar between genders, with a significant difference found only in the S-APSI parameter (p = 0.021). Among male participants, a significant difference was observed in the S-MLSI parameter (p = 0.015), while no significant differences were found in the other parameters. For female participants, dynamic balance performance significantly outperformed static performance (OSI p = 0.018, APSI p = 0.035, MLSI p = 0.046). Apart from anterior-posterior balance outcomes, no significant differences were observed between males and females in the other parameters. It was also evident that female participants exhibited significantly superior dynamic balance performance compared to static performance. Conclusions. Understanding gender differences in balance performance is crucial for creating effective training programs in sports education. By recognizing these differences, trainers can develop strategies that better meet the specific needs of male and female athletes. This approach can help enhance overall athletic performance.

Co-curricular activities equip students with essential skills and knowledge for personal and professional growth. Despite their importance, many students exert minimal effort to complete the assigned tasks. Instructors perceive that the lack of emphasis on final exams in co-curricular subjects reduces student effort and commitment. Moreover, poor time management and lack of effort in completing tasks have increased across various subjects in recent years. Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors that contribute to student commitment towards co-curricular subjects. In this study, the submission status of 339 tasks was retrieved from the student learning system to measure student commitment based on whether tasks were submitted on time, delayed, or not submitted. A chi-square test f was used to investigate the relationship between students’ demographic characteristics and their commitment. The findings revealed a significant association between student commitment and the type of task given (p < 0.001). Students were more likely to submit presentations on time compared to written assignments. Projects were more likely to be delayed, while written assignments had a high frequency of no submission. Age was a significant predictor of commitment (p < 0.05), with students over 20 more likely to submit on time and students under 20 more likely to ignore submission. Gender was also a significant predictor of commitment (p < 0.001), with female students having a higher percentage and frequency of on-time submissions while male students having a higher number of no submissions. However, no significant association was found between the study year and commitment (p > 0.05), indicating that the year of the study could not determine the level of commitment to the course. Overall, these findings could be used to guide the preparation of tasks and assignments in co-curricular subjects to enhance student commitment and holistic development.

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Athletes with high levels of anxiety may take wrong actions and cause athletes to not be able to perform well. Specifically, when pre-competition anxiety problems occur, this situation can affect the accuracy of the shots in tennis. Therefore, this study identifies the effect of pre-competition anxiety on tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) accuracy shots among Malaysian varsity tennis players. This study uses quantitative cross-sectional survey research. This research used the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2) questionnaire and the tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) accuracy shot instrument to survey 60 respondents utilizing a convenient sampling technique. The descriptive data showed high cognitive and physical anxiety and low self-confidence 24 hours before the competition. Researchers used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 25, to perform inferential statistical analysis related to the Simple Linear Regression Test and concluded that pre-competition anxiety had a significant impact on tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) accuracy shots, accounting for 10.1% of the variance. These findings imply that an excessive level of pre-competition anxiety has a significant negative impact on tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) accuracy shots. The conclusion is that pre-competition anxiety poses a significant threat to the accuracy of tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) accuracy shot performance. Solutions are desperately needed, such as meditation, self-talk, imagery, and sports massage intervention, which may control pre-competition anxiety and subsequently accurately perform tennis forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) shots.