The University of Reading, UK, has begun construction on its first overseas campus in Malaysia. The campus will be based at EduCity Iskandar, a 600-acre education and R&D hub designed to encourage partnerships between education and industry.
Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell, said the venture would help growing demand for the Reading brand of education.
“Reading is an excellent example of the type of education provider with whom the Ministry wishes to work”
“We have around 3,000 graduates from the University of Reading in Malaysia and Singapore, the majority of whom travelled to the UK,” he said.
“We are therefore proud and excited to have the opportunity to deliver the same experience to students in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The new campus, to be known as the University of Reading Malaysia, will open in September 2015 offering degrees in business and law; science; and the built environment. It will cater to 2,000 students.
Bell said the venture would help Malaysia grow as an education hub—there are currently seven international branch campuses in the country. However, foreign enrolments have fallen from 100,000 in 2008 to 84,000 last year.
Dr Mohamed Ali Abdul Rahman of the Ministry of Higher Education, said the new campus would boost Malaysia’s reputation.
“As a university recognised as being amongst the top 1% of universities in the world, the University of Reading is an excellent example of the type of high-calibre education provider with whom the Ministry wishes to work,” he said.
The University of Reading is already quite active in Malaysia. Its law degrees are delivered through a twinning program with Taylors University, Malaysia. It also delivers executive education to companies such as the Bank of China and HSBC.
