Is Malaysia the regional leader in international higher education? | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional

Is Malaysia the regional leader in international higher education? | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional:

In response to the costs of sending students abroad, the Malay government developed a strategy to improve its HE sector, transforming it into regional hub for international universities

In 1995, 20% of Malaysian students studied abroad. Photograph: Charlie Thomas, Work Experience for the Guardian

While restructuring its educational policies in the 1990s, the Malaysian government realised it would not be able to provide higher education to a significant proportion of its population through its own public institutions. In 1995, the Malaysian government was faced with a situation where 20% of Malaysian students studied abroad. This cost the country an estimated $800 million USD, nearly 12% of Malaysia's current account deficit. Malaysia became one of the top countries sending its own students to study abroad.

Faced with such a predicament the Malaysian government embarked on a program to turn Malaysia into a fully developed knowledge based economy. To that end, the Malaysian government sought to partner with foreign higher educational institutions to offer more educational opportunities for Malaysians on their own soil. The ultimate aim was to make Malaysia a regional hub of higher education in south-east Asia.