Mapping Malaysia's Resource Centres

05 Education and Training The very first Malaysian school, Penang Free School, was established in 1816 to provide formal education. Not long after, government-owned schools were set up to provide standardised education to the citizens of Malaysia. The establishment of the first university, Universiti Malaya in 1962 was the catalyst for decades of education excellence. The 80s saw the rise of private higher education. These colleges offered Diploma and Certificate programmes from established universities from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States whereby students spent a portion of their studies both locally and abroad. During the economic downturn towards the end of the 80s, private colleges, facilitated by the government, allowed the programmes to be completed in Malaysia. Ever since then, Malaysian higher education has only continued to grow in quality and quantity, providing education to Malaysians as well as international students. Today, the Malaysian education sector exports higher education by franchising Malaysian education programmes abroad via twinning programmes and joint awards with international universities. In addition to that, the influx of foreign students entering Malaysia’s public and private higher learning institutions marks a total transformation from its early days. The Malaysian education sector has quickly fulfilled the definition of an industry. Local and international investors have increased, investing in academic facilities as well as research and talent development. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, private education has steadily increased its contribution to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) with a growth value of roughly 7.7% per annum. Malaysia is now an education hub known for its quality academic programmes accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The accreditation is widely accepted throughout Asia and Europe. More than 170,00 international students have been recorded to be studying in Malaysia. On average, these students spend an average of RM30,000 per year on tuition fees and accommodation. It is also estimated that the higher education sector will be contributing at least RM17 billion per year to the Malaysian economy.