KUALA LUMPUR, 9^th SEPTEMBER 2022 – Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) collaborated with the Committee for International Directors of Public Universities (JKPA) and Education Malaysia Australia (EMA) to organise a familiarisation visit to selected public universities in Malaysia. Representatives from eight (8) Australian universities, the Australian High Commission Malaysia, the Malaysian Student Council, the higher education institutions in Malaysia and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Malaysia joined this visit which was scheduled from 2nd to 9th September 2022.

The participating Australian university representatives joined the visit to universities campus and visited some of the top destinations in Malaysia like Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Tioman Island. The delegates also experienced themselves by being part of the mobility programme which was organised by the local universities and at the same time they had a chance to have direct consultation with the local university representatives. The visit could also boost efforts and strategic collaboration between universities in Australia and Malaysia, particularly in the mobility and research programmes. Some of the final highlights of the visit include the Roundtable Session, the Networking Lunch with the Australian HEIs representatives, the Opening Speech by Dato’ Dr. Megat Sany Megat Ahmad Supian, the Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) from the Ministry of Higher Education, the Welcoming Speech by Mr. Mohd Radzlan bin Jalaludin (Chief Executive Officer of EMGS), the Speech by H.E. Dr. Justin Lee (Australia High Commissioner to Malaysia) and the Speech by Dato’ Roslan bin Tan Sri Abdul Rahman (Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Ms. Suraya Zahra Newell, the representative of the Student Mobility Programme in Malaysia also shared her experience to all the audience during the networking lunch session.

Both Australia and Malaysia have established a long-standing exchange and cooperation in education through the New Colombo Plan (NCP) which is a mobility programme for Australian students that receives sponsorship by the Australian Government (Department of Foreign & Trade, DFAT). There are forty countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including Malaysia which has been the preferred destination for NCP students for mobility programmes. The NCP mobility programme sponsors 10,000 students a year, taking into account the diverse community background of the students. The Australian Government offers their students the opportunity to experience education and working at Indo-Pacific. From the data published by DFAT, the Australian Government has allocated AED$ 22,111,557 to 6,276 students in 2022. Malaysia ranked the 7th highest country in the list of preferred country for the mobility programme by the Australian students and is aiming to be in the Top 5. (Reference source: https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/newcolombo-plan/mobility-program/previous-rounds)

The Chief Executive Officer of EMGS, Mr. Mohd Radzlan bin Jalaludin said, “The representatives from the Australian HEIs will experience new insights and perspectives about Malaysia, having gained new networks and particularly, unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime that is to be shared with their students in Australia. This programme will strengthen the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Australia, particularly in the higher education sector.”