Speaking at the 10th annual EURIE conference in Istanbul, Novie Tajuddin, CEO of Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), explained that Malaysian universities have received a 26% increase in international applications for the past two consecutive years.
While the country’s international student intake is “dominated” by countries such as China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and India, Tajuddin noted that recent years had seen “a lot of movement and change” due to changing geopolitics in the region. Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Japan and Nigeria are among the other top sending countries to Malaysia.
Speaking to The PIE News, Tajuddin named Central Asia and Africa as the regions with the biggest “potential” for growth in international student applications.
“The rule of thumb is simple. It is about the countries that would like to grow,” he said.
The rule of thumb is simple. It is about the countries that would like to grow
Novie Tajuddin, EMGS
Malaysia is on a mission to streamline international student admissions to its institutions. In January, it was revealed that the country’s Ministry of Higher Education will bring in a centralised system for applications that will authenticate and standardise the students’ qualifications.
Higher education minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir pledged that Malaysia would work with students’ home countries to ensure a “smooth and secure admissions process”.
The country has brought in novel ways to welcome international students to Malaysia as a way to ensure that their experience is a good one – such as a “fast lane” at the airport when students touch down.
