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HIGHER EDUCATION :
Malaysia: A Centre of Education
Malaysia is fast becoming a regional hub for higher education. Currently, there are more that 25,000 foreign students in private education institutions in Malaysia from countries as diverse as Australia, Brunei, Britain, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Maldives, Sudan, Taiwan, the United States of America, and many more......
By Naved Hasan in Dubai
Malaysia is fast becoming a regional hub for higher education. Currently, there are more that 11,000 foreign students in private education institutions in Malaysia. Foreign students come from countries as diverse as Australia, Brunei, Britain, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Maldives, Sudan, Taiwan, the United States of America, and many more.
In the year 2005, Malaysia issued more than 25,000 student passes to foreign students to study in institutions of higher learning in Malaysia, as well as approximately 8,000 student passes were issued to study in private schools. An increasing number of students from the Middle East are now seeking opportunities of higher education in Malaysia, specially from Oman, Iraq and Jordan.
In a bid to attract more students from the Middle East to its educational institutions, Malaysia participated in the”Gulf Education and Training Exhibition” held in Dubai this year. A prominent contingent ofMalaysian colleges and universities participated in the exhibition.
Malaysian participants reported encouraging number of enquiries, which has led to an increased awareness in the Middle East about Malysia’s emerging status as a centre of learning in the Far East.
Attractions for studying in Malaysia include:
• quality education at affordable prices
• reasonable cost of living in Malaysia
• multiracial population that welcomes foreign students
• receptive to people of various cultures and backgrounds
• safe and conducive environment for international students to live and to study
PRIVATE COLLEGES
Malaysia has currently 482 private colleges in operation of which 12 are of university status. A total of 3 foreign universities have established branch campuses in Malaysia while 79 colleges have twinning programmes with renowned overseas universities, mainly from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Almost all private higher education institutions (PHEI) in Malaysia are of an international standard as they are regulated by two pieces of legislation; namely, the Private Higher Education Institution Act 1996 and the National Accreditation Board Act 1996 which evaluates a PHEI in five aspects: curriculum content, general information, quality of teaching staff, facilities at the institution and quality of management.
A PHEI can accept foreign students for a particular study programme only if that programme is accredited by the Minsitry. Also, a PHEI can only conduct a twinning programme with a foreign institution if the formers course of study is accredited by the Ministry. Furthermore, a PHEI is only allowed to offer accredited programmes from a public university.
Associations
Two associations look after the interests of PHEIs. They are the Malaysian Association of Private and the National Association of Private and Independent Educational Institutions. Both associations are extremely helpful in providing information on their member institutions and career guidance.
Degree Courses
Most PHEIs offer degrees through one of the following systems: twinning programme, credit transfer programme, advanced standing programme, external programme, and joint programme.
Under a twinning programme, a PHEI has a working arrangement with one or several foreign universities. Students complete part of the course in Malaysia and the remainder is donít overseas. Degrees are conferred by the main foreign university.
Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEI)
Private tertiary institutions play an integral role in complementing the Government’s effort to provide students access to tertiary learning. The rising needs for more places for tertiary education which cannot possibly be met by public universities have opened vast avenues for the development of private tertiary learning. Private tertiary institutions also play a major role in promoting Malaysia as a regional centre of education as they are the major education provider catering to the international student community. Apart from obtaining Malaysian qualifications, students of these institutions also get to attend courses provided by institutions from other parts of the world like the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Canada.
Private institutions in Malaysia through partnerships with foreign universities conduct degree programmes that are recognised worldwide. Through the franchised or twinning system, students can take up varied combinations of study options by completing the programme partly or entirely in Malaysia at reduced costs.
Some of the franchised programmes offer flexibility that allows students to do part of their degree in Malaysia and the rest overseas. These include the “1+2” and “2+1” degree programme where students spend one or two years in Malaysia and the rest at the foreign university that offer the franchised programmes. A relatively new concept is the “3+0” degree courses where students taking up a foreign programme can complete the entire course in Malaysia. This enables students to obtain degrees from renowned foreign universities at a fraction of actual cost.
There are several types of PHEIs which include:
• Private colleges: these institutions can award qualifications at certificate or diploma level or bachelor’s degree through a university
• Private universities: there are four private universities in Malaysia offering specialised courses in petroleum engineering, telecommunications and medicines. These universities award their own degrees at all levels.
• Foreign universities branch campus: currently, there are three such universities operating in Malaysia. These are an extension of the universities from which they originate. The programmes they run are similar to those offered at the parent campus and thus, the degrees awarded are also the same.
Post-graduate Education
A number of private colleges do conduct Master’s degree or post-graduate studies in collaboration with their foreign partners. Usually, this is by means of tutorials and seminars conducted by private colleges on behalf of the foreign universities which are responsible in monitoring the programmes. Public universities do offer places for post-graduate studies to international students but the number of places available is very limited.
Malaysia offers abundant opportunities for education from kindergarten right up to tertiary level. With 12 public universities, four private universities, three foreign branch campuses and over 500 private educational institutions, Malaysia has much to offer in terms of educational facilities and expertise.
The Government’s commitment in turning Malaysia into a regional centre of education ensures that students receive quality education at competitive cost. The fields of study are wide ranging including such diverse subject as engineering, commerce, law, media studies, information technology, fashion designing, architecture, medicine and many more.
Whatever the level of education you aspire for, accessibility is not a problem. Malaysia provides a safe and hospitable place for study, its charming and friendly people are easy to get along with, its excellent infrastructure and transportation system rank among the best in the world. Although Bahasa Malaysia is the national language while Islam, the national religion, English is widely spoken and the people are allowed to practice their religion freely.
Medium of instruction
Private educational institutions conduct their courses in English primarily because most of the courses are affiliate programmes offered by foreign universities or professional bodies. To study in Malaysia, students must have a good command of the language. For those who don’t, they must be prepared to undergo an intensive English language proficiency course before they can proceed into their chosen programme. The duration of the proficiency course is about six months.
Accommodation
Accommodation is not much of a problem as some colleges do provide on-campus hostels to out-safe students including foreigners. Otherwise, students can rent their own apartment or house. Rentals differ according to the type of house/apartments are their locality.
Transportation
The cheapest means of public transport in Malaysia are buses. Students also have a choice of taking the commuter train or light rail transport (LRT) which provides an efficient and speedy means of travelling especially within the city centre. The taxi service is efficient and charges a reasonable fare. Some colleges provide students with shuttle service from the college to the other parts of the town.
Medical cost
Malaysia has one of the best medical facilities in the region. Through a network of public and private hospitals and clinics, students can easily seek medical attention whenever the need arises. Patients seeking treatments at government clinics or hospitals are charged minimal rates while the rates at private establishments are relatively higher. International students are required to subscribe to a health insurance policy once their application for study in Malaysia is approved.
There has been a dramatic increase of foreign students in Malaysia over the last few years following the Malaysian government’s decision to position the country as a centre of education excellence in the Far East region. The numbers are sure to increase in coming years as more and more people realise the benefits of higher education in Malaysia.
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