Why Study in Malaysia?
Rapidly Improving Quality Higher Education
Though not at par with other Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore, Malaysian universities are improving rapidly, and are not far behind universities that impart world-class education. Some of the universities offer courses in computer science and engineering that rank among the world’s top 100 courses, all thanks to Malaysia’s education system and its focus on international standards. The education standards are closely monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education, which has the vision to turn Malaysia into a Centre of Excellence for Higher Education
Destination for International Degrees
A major part of Malaysia’s state investment in higher education is its growing partnerships with universities in other countries. Many foreign universities, especially Australian and British, have branch campuses in Malaysia. For example, Monash University (Australia) and the University of Nottingham (UK), both among the top 100 universities in the world, have branch campuses in Malaysia. Malaysia’s KBU International College has tied up with UK’s Anglia Ruskin, Nottingham Trent, and Sheffield Hallam universities.
Malaysian city of Johor is home to Edu City Iskandar, a giant international student village and campus shared by eight leading universities. While four are operational, the others will be completed this year. They will include the universities of Reading, Southampton, and Newcastle (medicine) in the UK, the Netherlands’ Maritime Institute of Technology, Singapore’s private Raffles University and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts from the USA. This education hub aims at bringing world-class higher education to the heart of the Asian region.
Lower Costs of Studying & Living
The cost of studying and living in Malaysia is comparatively lower than countries such as Australia, the US, the UK, France, Canada, etc. While an undergraduate course at the UK Campus of the University of Nottingham would cost £13,470, the same course at the Malaysia campus would cost MYR 39,990 (approximately £7,000). The course has the same module content, has the same evaluation criteria and the same marking scheme. Hence, the degree has the same weightage as the one from the UK campus, but at a significantly lower cost. Besides, the cost of living in Malaysia is considerably lower as well, which eases your financial burden. It is a win-win situation for international students as they can live comfortably at a cost of about MYR 1100 a month. (This includes food, accommodation, and other daily expenses).
Seamless Immigration Procedures
International students in Malaysia benefit from the easy and trouble-free immigration procedures as compared to other countries which have stricter student immigration procedures.
Safety Not A Concern
Malaysia is one of the safest and politically stable countries in the world with a relatively low crime rate. The weather in Malaysia is sunny and rainy all year without extreme cold or hot weather conditions making the weather easy to adapt to. In 2011 survey ranked Malaysia the 19th most peaceful country out of 153 countries.
Unique & Diverse Culture
Overall, Malaysians are friendly, welcoming and love to socialise. The country is a contrasting blend of people from around the world with a vast number of ideologies. This makes Malaysia more congenial for international students.
No Language Barriers
Malay and English are the most spoken languages in the country. Other languages and dialects that thrive in the country are Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil among others. Most of the universities in Malaysia conduct their lectures in English. Hence, it is easier for international students to understand the lectures better. Furthermore, there are many language centres and higher education institutions that offer basic English courses for those who are not proficient in English.
Wanderlust for Travel Enthusiasts
In 2010, Malaysia was ranked the 9th most visited country in the world. Well, that was for a reason. Travelling in the friendly, beautiful, and culturally rich country is far affordable than imagined. One gets extremely good value for money here. The stunning variety of attractions and free-time activities in the thrilling metropolitan area of Kuala Lumpur and the natural wonders such as Langkawi, Taman Negara, and Cameron Highlands ensure you will never run out of things to see and do.
