More Quality Education Choices With Opening Of Foreign Universities

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomed the opening of top-notch foreign universities as this would increase competition and the choice of quality education in the country, said Second Education Minister Idris Jusoh. Idris said the presence of overseas universities in Malaysia was in line with the objectives of the Higher Education Blueprint 2015-2025, especially to transform the higher education delivery. "We believe that the presence of overseas universities in Malaysia will complement our home-grown universities and their offerings," he said at the opening of the United Kingdom university Heriot-Watt campus in Malaysia, here, Thursday. Idris said Heriot-Watt University had made the right decision by choosing Putrajaya to open its second campus in Asia because the federal government's administrative capital was a growing and dynamic location. The US$53.14 million (RM191 million) campus on 1.94 hectares of land is the institution's second overseas campus in Asia after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will house 4,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and offer a range of courses in science, engineering, business, mathematics and design, with a view to gaining a UK-recognised degree. Heriot-Watt University Malaysia opened its first premises here in January 2013 which was temporarily housed at Menara Putrajaya Holding and currently having nearly 3,500 students. Heriot-Watt University is a successful provider of international and transnational education. It is an established science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) institution with a strong academic and research record in the United Kingdom. British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vicki Treadell said the opening of the Heriot-Watt University campus here marked another milestone in the UK-Malaysia education ties and would support Malaysia's effort in becoming an education hub in the region. "The long-standing education ties between the UK and Malaysia, particularly in tertiary studies, saw Malaysia emerging as the largest market for the provision of UK transnational higher education," she said. Treadell said there were around 15,000 Malaysians studying in the UK currently and another 58,000 individuals studying in Malaysia for a UK tertiary qualification, which was more than any other country in the world. -- BERNAMA