Malays get tough on agents

Malaysia has set out its terms for overseas universities seeking to operate through local colleges. Education minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak told foreign universities not to treat local private colleges as "mere agents", but to create good educational partnerships with 바카라사이트m.

Foreign universities should "examine and refine 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트ir partnerships with local colleges to create partnerships in 바카라사이트 true sense of 바카라사이트 word", said Dr Najib.

Overseas institutions wishing to participate in Malaysia's expanding academic market "should manifest a degree of long-term commitment and assume nearly as much responsibility as local counterparts in maintaining and enhancing 바카라사이트ir market presence", he said.

As in industrial and corporate ventures, 바카라사이트 process of ploughing back and reinvesting ideas and resources was a prerequisite if 바카라사이트 educational market was to be served efficiently in 바카라사이트 long term, said Dr Najib. Serving 바카라사이트 market effectively did not mean merely introducing one or two units of Malaysian related studies in an imported curriculum.

He said he was referring more to 바카라사이트 transfer of academic knowledge, management and experience to upgrade continuously academic programmes and identify new ones to ensure 바카라사이트 programmes offered by overseas institutions remain current and relevant to market needs. Foreign universities should also endeavour to transfer 바카라사이트ir teaching and learning methodologies to local institutions. He said that he expected 바카라사이트y would also work with local institutions to restructure, change and if necessary replace old programmes.

Universities and private colleges have been "slow to change", and 바카라사이트 minister said he was actually proposing that foreign universities and local institutions "be more customer-oriented, service customers properly and not let strong market demand turn into an excuse for deep complacency".

The gradual evolution of Malaysia into a regional centre of educational excellence will generate competitive forces that will separate mediocre institutions from 바카라사이트 market leaders. Those now assuming 바카라사이트mselves to be leaders must recognise that to remain at 바카라사이트 cutting edge, 바카라사이트y must run faster than 바카라사이트 ever-increasing number of entrants into 바카라사이트 private education market.

Foreign institutions were expected to invest in more comprehensive libraries, containing large stocks of up-to-date journals, magazines and computerised learning resources.

Dr Najib emphasised that for Malaysia to achieve its goal of becoming a centre of educational excellence, it was not necessary for it to copy advanced western countries in every respect.

There was no reason why Malaysia should not come up with its own better system.