Posted on 6 September 2011 - 04:44pm
Last updated on 6 September 2011 - 07:58pm
Husna Yusop
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA (Sept 6, 2011): The government is conducting a study to find out the total number of universities – public and private – needed by the country in order to produce the desired number of graduates.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said the purpose of the study is to maintain the quality of Malaysian universities and strengthen the position of the higher education sector.
At the same time, any decision to build new universities or foreign university branch campuses here should benefit the country in producing human capital and contributing towards economic growth.
“The ministry is now studying how many universities we actually require. To be an international hub for higher education, how many foreign branch campuses (are) required?
“While welcoming foreign branch campuses, we also want to see the growth of local universities at the international level. So, all these we will take into consideration.
“We do not want every Tom, Dick and Harry branch university campus to be set up in this country, offering programmes which may not be relevant to our country,” he told reporters at the ministry after presenting the offer letter to HELP University College to be upgraded to university status.
The ministry’s plan is to enrol 150,000 international students in Malaysia by 2015, and 200,000 by 2020. As at April, the figure stands at about 86,000 students.
Currently, the ratio of university to population in Malaysia is about 1:400,000 compared to 1:200,000 in the United States. However, the accessibility to higher education in Malaysia is around 40% compared to between 60% and 70% in the US.
Asked when the study would be completed, Khaled said the ministry will not rush it as “we want to make sure our study can last many years”.
Until July 31, there are 20 public universities and 52 private institutions of higher learning in the country - comprising 25 universities, 22 university colleges and five branch campuses – apart from over 400 private colleges.
Meanwhile, HELP University College president Datuk Dr Paul Chan said HELP University aims to be a top business management university that is research driven.
“Our long-terms goals, among others, are to be internationally recognised as an innovative university, to ensure our graduates are the first choice for employers and leaders in their respective field of endeavour and to be the preferred employer for talented individuals who choose to join our fraternity,” he said.
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