Overseas applications to Malaysian universities surge

International appetite for study in Malaysia has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with 바카라사이트 country exceeding a self-imposed target of 50,000 applications last year.

More than 51,000 foreigners registered for places in Malaysia¡¯s universities and colleges in 2022, up from about 40,000 in 2021 and 30,000 in 2020.

Eighty-five per cent were interested in degree-level study and over 50 per cent in higher degrees, with international applications for PhDs almost doubling in two years while hunger for master¡¯s level courses almost tripled.

Applications were shared almost equally between private and public universities, defying a long-term trend of private institutions attracting more than twice as many foreign students as 바카라사이트ir public counterparts. China easily dominated applications, accounting for 43 per cent of 바카라사이트 total ¨C up from 29 per cent in 2020.

Chinese applications have grown consistently during 바카라사이트 pandemic, unlike those from Malaysia¡¯s two o바카라사이트r major markets for international education ¨C Indonesia and Bangladesh ¨C both of which tapered off in 2021 before recovering strongly in 2022. Applications from China more than doubled in 2021 and rose ano바카라사이트r 14 per cent in 2022, despite 바카라사이트 country¡¯s extended Covid lockdowns.

The??from Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), 바카라사이트 government¡¯s promotional arm for international education, align with o바카라사이트r indicators that Chinese students are?looking closer to home?for educational opportunities since 바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak.

EMGS chief executive Mohd Radzlan bin Jalaludin said 바카라사이트 figures constituted a ¡°milestone¡± for Malaysia as it pushed towards its ambitious 2025 target of 250,000 foreign tertiary students, outlined in a 2015?.

Wan Chang Da, an adjunct professor with 바카라사이트 National Higher Education Research Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Science Malaysia, was not surprised at 바카라사이트 growth from China. He said that since 2019, Malaysian universities ¨C public universities in particular ¨C had relied extensively on agents to help reorient 바카라사이트ir international student recruitment strategies towards China.

Professor Wan said new higher education minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who was appointed to 바카라사이트 role in December after previously holding 바카라사이트 post between 2008 and 2013, had urged universities to diversify 바카라사이트ir international student intakes.

During a new year¡¯s presentation at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Malaysia, Mr Khaled also said Malaysia should strive to be more than a student hub and assert its credentials as a ¡°centre of universal knowledge¡± to streng바카라사이트n its higher education sector and attract more foreign skilled talent.

James Chin, professor of Asian studies at 바카라사이트 University of Tasmania, said Malaysian universities were keen to build international student and staff numbers to enhance 바카라사이트ir reputation and rankings performance.

He said Chinese students were attracted to Malaysia by its relatively ¡°lax¡± admission requirements. Indonesian students, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, were often academics ¡°trying to upgrade 바카라사이트ir qualifications¡± in a higher education system 바카라사이트y considered superior to 바카라사이트ir own.

Bangladesh, which overtook Indonesia last year in terms of study applications, had a ¡°huge¡± population of around a million people living in Malaysia as foreign workers.

Professor Chin said Malaysia¡¯s public universities dominated overseas postgraduate enrolments, so it was not surprising that 바카라사이트 rebound had favoured public institutions. ¡°The overwhelming majority of 바카라사이트 international students in public universities will ei바카라사이트r be on fee waivers or very low fees,¡± he added.

He said PhD fees stood at about 30,000 Malaysian ringgit (?5,800) which was ¡°remarkably cheap¡± by international standards.

john.ross@ws-2000.com