Malaysia woos foreign students

Malaysia woos foreign students

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Malaysia, which is keen to promote its
fast-growing higher education sector, has eased visa restrictions
for foreign students planning to study at local colleges and
universities, reports said yesterday.

The move is aimed at students from neighboring countries such
as Indonesia, Brunei, China and India, who are drawn to Malaysian
higher education centers which run twinning courses with
established foreign universities.

Under the new ruling, foreign students need not pay an 8,000-
ringgit (US$1,951) deposit for studying in Malaysia, while
student visa applications will be speeded up.

The New Straits Times daily newspaper said there were 12,000
foreign students currently taking up mainly post-graduate degrees
at Malaysia's 11 state-run universities and 250 private colleges.