Attracting students: Malaysia to set up liaison centre in capital

ISLAMABAD:

Malaysia plans to set up an information centre in the federal capital in an effort to attract Pakistani students who are seeking higher education opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation.

“Malaysia is the safest and the prime location for Pakistani students aspiring for a quality education,” Malaysian second minister of education Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said at an event at a local hotel here on Thursday. The minister said, 4,200 Pakistani students are studying at various universities in Malaysia. The office of the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), the international student management centre, will be set up in Islamabad to provide information to the Pakistani students. “Over the past decade, Malaysia has become the fastest growing destination for international students with 16 per cent increase annually,” he said. The minister said they continuously review and upgrade policies and systems. Jusoh said that the universities were planning to start ‘two-plus-two’ degree programmes having two years of study and other two devoted to field experience in an entrepreneurship programme. Earlier, EMGS Chief Executive Yazid Abdul Hamid explained about his country’s environment for international students. “You can even earn a degree from the United States or the United Kingdom, while studying in Malaysia,” he said, adding the expenditure to study and live in Malaysia was also comparatively low. According to Hamid the visa and admission processes are being made easier for the students. Replying to a question, he said the students were not permitted to work during their studies but they could after completion of their degree. Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2015.