Digital Transformation Can Boost Gen Z Participation In Student Cooperatives

SINTOK, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- The use of digital platforms in business activities can be a key driver for student cooperatives to attract greater participation from Generation Z while ensuring the cooperative movement keeps pace with current developments.

Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA) president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah said student cooperatives should explore e-commerce, e-wallets and QR code payments as part of efforts to adapt their operations to the current lifestyle of university students.

He said changing purchasing patterns among young people, who increasingly rely on online platforms, required student cooperatives to move beyond physical premises and traditional sales methods.

“Young people are more comfortable buying online compared to physical purchases. Therefore, student cooperatives must change according to the ways and needs of their generation,” he said after the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between ANGKASA and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) here today.

He said the young membership base of student cooperatives gave them an advantage in introducing technology-driven business approaches at the campus level.

Abdul Fattah said students who were already exposed to technology in their daily lives would be more receptive to such changes, potentially positioning student cooperatives as pioneers of digital transformation within the cooperative movement.

“If we want to transform cooperatives that have been operating for a long time, the challenge is greater as they are already accustomed to traditional methods.

“That is why student cooperatives are the most suitable platform to pioneer the digital transformation of the cooperative movement,” he said.

He said the adoption of digital technology also allowed students to expand their business activities beyond the campus market.

“Students can develop online businesses based on current trends. They are not only technology users but can also create business opportunities through cooperatives,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Fattah said the strategic collaboration between ANGKASA and UUM focused on strengthening student cooperatives, including through rebranding efforts to make them more appealing to university students.

“We want student cooperatives to become a platform for students to learn entrepreneurship, cooperative knowledge and build a cooperative identity. Upon graduation, they can become leaders or drivers of a new generation of cooperatives,” he said.

-- BERNAMA