Malaysia Positions Indonesia as Strategic Partner in Higher Education Development
Padang (ANTARA) - The Malaysian government, through the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, has positioned Indonesia as one of its strategic partners in the development of higher education.
“Indonesia is a strategic partner for Malaysia in the development of higher education,” said Megat Muhammad Samsul, representative of Education Malaysia Global Services, Malaysia, during his visit to Padang on Tuesday.
Samsul noted that more than 100,000 Indonesian alumni have pursued education in Malaysia. This reflects the strong relationship between the two countries in the higher education sector.
Education Malaysia Global Services is an agency under the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia that serves as a bridge for cooperation between Malaysian universities and foreign institutions. Additionally, the agency has been mandated by the cabinet to manage and expedite the process of international student visas, which can be completed in two to five working days.
He mentioned that out of around 400 universities in Malaysia, more than 300 are permitted to accept international students, following a rigorous selection process regarding facilities and programme quality.
Malaysia does not use rankings as the primary indicator but rather focuses on the quality and development of students. Therefore, the cooperation established is not limited to paper agreements like MoUs but emphasises real impacts from the collaboration, he stressed.
Meanwhile, Padang Mayor Fadly Amran stated that the local government is committed to encouraging the younger generation to pursue education abroad through scholarship programmes.
“We want to open greater opportunities for the best children of Padang to study abroad, including through double degree schemes and co-funding,” he said.
In agreement, Rector of Universitas Andalas Efa Yonnedi said that the oldest university outside Java has established cooperation with 30 universities and industries in Malaysia. The forms of collaboration include joint research, professor visits, and faculty partnerships, including with the University of Malaya in the field of medicine.
“The existing cooperation can certainly be enhanced further, not only between universities but also involving local government and international partners as a showcase for strengthening higher education,” said Efa.
According to him, strengthening the ASEAN axis in the internationalisation of education is very important. Geographical proximity presents a great opportunity to encourage more intensive student mobility in the region. Some schemes being promoted include joint degrees, double degrees, credit earning for one semester to one year, internship programmes, and international real work lectures.