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Study in Malaysia
For more than 40 years the flow of students seeking quality-orientated international education programs has been away from Malaysia. How times have changed! The latest figures available from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education indicate that there are more than 65,000 international students currently pursuing degrees in the country, close to a third of who are studying either a masters of PhD program.
So what is it that attracts so many international graduate students to one of the largest and most successful “Asian Tiger” economies in the region? The central position higher education enjoys in Malaysia certainly contributes to why students are drawn to the country. With 20 publicly funded universities and at least a further 20 privately funded education providers offering masters or PhD programs, the range of choice is unparalleled. The larger universities, such as Universiti Sains Malaysia, located in Penang and specializing in science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, focusing on technology and related disciplines in Selangor, and the Universiti Malaya, located in the capital Kuala Lumpur, all offer a high level of teaching and research in addition to the complete range of amenities one would expect of a university anywhere in the world.
The level of tuition fees international graduate students currently pay is a fraction of those at equivalent universities in Australia, the UK and the USA.
There are some additional material benefits to pursuing a masters or PhD program in a Malaysian institution as well. The level of tuition fees international graduate students currently pay is a fraction of those at equivalent universities in Australia, the UK and the USA. Ranging between US$3,000 and US$7,000, depending on the institution and the program of study, Malaysian graduate degrees represent great value for money – an issue further highlighted when one factors in the reduced cost of living in the country.
It is a truly multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society.
Culturally and professionally Malaysia’s top universities offer the more adventurous international graduate student access to a different experience. A fascinating blend of Asian, Arabic, Chinese and Indian influences, Malaysian culture is unique in the region with its varying festivals and exciting way of life. It is a truly multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society. Professionally, the success of the Malaysian economy, checked only briefly by the Southeast Asian financial crisis of the late 1990’s, offers graduate students access to a diverse labour market, where finance, technology, engineering and biotechnology are particularly dynamic sectors currently seeking well-qualified, internationally-orientated candidates.
According to Dr Ahmad Mahdzan Ayob, an academic at the Universiti Utara Malaysia, the increasing popularity of Malaysian institutions amongst international graduate students has much to do with the environment many of them offer: “The aspects of Malaysian life that are evaluated most regularly by international students include the friendly people, the fact that there are few social restrictions, good amenities and good communications. International students also have clear motivations for coming to study here – a majority of them cite the cheaper tuition fees and lower cost of living as primary factors for coming here.”
The quality of graduate education on offer in Malaysia is undoubtedly also a significant factor in more students coming to study.
The quality of graduate education on offer in Malaysia is undoubtedly also a significant factor in more students coming to study. Dr Ayob continues: “Many refer to professional reasons for studying in Malaysia, such as a university having good research facilities or being advanced in research in their own fields of study. One student I know claimed his university to be the best in the world for his subject! Others claim that ‘twinning programs’ with international universities enable then to come to a Malaysian campus for their course work as well as conduct research for their advanced degrees.”
Abdulmajid Al-Jilani Rahuma from Libya is a recent graduate from the PhD program at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and reflects very positively on his move to Malaysia for his research degree in technology management: “I had a brilliant time at UTM and loved every aspect of Malaysia. My time at UTM was unique as the place made me feel very much at home. The University’s management and excellent academic system contributed to the conducive international community atmosphere and in terms of my faculty, the Faculty of Management and Human Resource Development, I did enjoy my academic time there and have never regretted my choice.”
