"Transnational Education" in Malaysia

An interesting, though obvious plug for foreign unis from The Times Online on "transnational education" in Malaysia:

 

Quintessentially Britain, truly Asia

Malaysia: full of Western promise

27 August 2009

By John Gill

UK institutions seeking to consolidate their position overseas are discovering Malaysia's potential. John Gill reports from Kuala Lumpur

There is a tradition at the University of Nottingham known as the "Campus 14", in which hard-drinking freshers attempt to down a pint in all 14 bars on site. In stark contrast, at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNIM), the sale of alcohol - and cigarettes and condoms - is forbidden.

There are, of course, many other differences between the two: nestled as it is in the middle of a vast palm plantation, no one could confuse UNIM's campus near Kuala Lumpur with its parent in the Midlands. Yet geographical and cultural disparities aside, the degree that students earn is identical, whether they are based in the Tropics or the UK.

UNIM may be the most ambitious example of a British university's involvement in Malaysia, but the country has a diverse range of partnerships with UK institutions - links that are at the core of its aspirations to become an international "hub" for higher education.

Its strategy is founded on so-called "transnational education" - the delivery of Western degrees through partnerships with Malaysian institutions.

Read the rest of the article here.

It reads uncannily like an article I read in The Star Online a couple of days ago about Malaysia being ranked the world's 11th most preferred study destination:

"The conclusion was based on the fact that 69,154 international students from more than 150 countries have chosen Malaysia as the country they wanted to study in.

With the majority of students coming from Indonesia, China and the Middle East, the new figure was a 26.5% increase from the old count of 50,788, which was recorded on March 31 last year. The ranking was obtained from the Institute of International Education.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the rise indicated that the ministry’s target to have 80,000 international students by 2010 was achievable.

“We’re happy to have 2% of the world’s international student population,” he told reporters yesterday after announcing the National Higher Education Strategic Plan’s progress report."

According to the writer, the Ministry of Higher Education has already given the green light to the Newcastle University of Medicine for a branch campus at Iskandar Malaysia’s Educity in Nusajaya, Johor.

"It is understood that local conglomerates are negotiating with the Korean Maritime Univer-sity, Southampton University, Royal Holloway University, King’s College London, the University of Birmingham and Murdoch University to set up branch campuses in Malaysia."

Good news for students wanting to save money on living costs abroad and that international students are reportedly flocking to our shores, but perhaps the Ministry would want to carry out a study on international students in public institutions of higher versus those in private universities/colleges. I'm no psychic, but I'm willing to bet that the numbers are higher in the private colleges, namely because the degrees awarded are by foreign universities.

So where does that leave Malaysia as an international education hub? Are we fated to be  a "cheaper" destination  to those wishing to graduate with a foreign degree, functioning only as a low-cost base lining the pockets of foreign university owners? What will happen (and it will someday) when Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia dangles more attractive incentives to foreign universities?

Where will it leave us, then? More importantly, where that does leave state-funded universities? Perhaps the fictional study I mentioned earlier should poll international students on their expectations towards public and private universities. Perhaps this will lead to a revamp of state-funded higher education, creating opportunity for public universities to regain their lost glory and finally make their mark on the world stage.

Wouldn't it after all, be a greater pride for our nation to be an international destination on the strength of its own education system, rather than relying on the 'charity' of foreign university owners?