Financial Review: Malaysia has eyes on New Colombo prize

It's great to see Malaysia in the Financial Review, as the Education Management Services Team rev up interest in trying to attract short-term students to our shores. TGS has relationships with all the major providers and is happy to provide advice for those wanting to reinvigorate old partnerships or create new ones. Our extensive experience working in the market can help navigate some of the cultural issues that institutions may encounter. Jan is happy to jump on a no-obligation call!

- Jan Drew

Read full article below.

Author - Julie Hare (Education Editor)

Published - Apr 3, 2022 - 4.21pm on Financial Review

Malaysia has its eyes firmly on Australian students’ growing interest in study abroad programs with a contingent of officials in Canberra last week to stir up interest in the country as a destination.

Student exchange programs were a pre-pandemic rite of passage for many Australian students, and Malaysia hopes to capitalise on its culture and travel opportunities – and the $22 million federal New Colombo Plan exchange funding program – to get them back, says Mohd Radzlan bin Jalaludin, chief executive of Education Malaysia Global Services.

Malaysian officials are particularly focused on the high-profile New Colombo Plan, which will see $22 million go towards sending about 6000 Australian students into Asia this year, including about 400 to Malaysia.

Applications for the 2023 New Colombo Plan would open soon and Mr Radzlan said the Malaysian government was keen to promote the country as a preferred destination.

His organisation hopes to encourage former New Colombo Plan scholars in Malaysia to act as ambassadors.

Among them is Sonia Parulekar, then a bachelor of commerce student at the University of NSW, who spent six months at the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumper in 2015.

“I didn’t know much about Malaysia at the time so thought it would be an awesome opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and try something new,” said Ms Parulekar, who is now on the product strategy team for fintech start-up AirWallex.

Different perspective

“I was really surprised to find how multicultural Malaysia was. And they have a very different perspective in the way they approach problems, compared to Australia.

“It’s definitely helped my career because I’m in a role that values the ability to understand how people interact in the Indo-Pacific.”

Ly Tran, an expert in study abroad programs from Deakin University, said a number of countries, including China, Vietnam and Malaysia, had realised it was time to rebalance the books and encourage a two-way flow of students.

“They are among the key source countries for international students to Australia, and they are trying to diversify their own student bodies and also boost their university rankings,” Dr Tran said.

“They are also interested in the funding that comes with study abroad students, although it’s not huge.”

A report into the New Colombo Plan by Dr Tran last year found the program dramatically increased Asian literacy and ambitions among alumni to work in the region.

Of the 1371 students surveyed for the study, two-thirds said the experience had made them interested in pursuing employment in the region.

The interest from Malaysia comes on the back of the strategic partnership signed by the two countries’ prime ministers in January 2021. The agreement pointed to the 44,000 Malaysian students studying in Australian institutions either here or in Malaysia.

Julie Hare is the Education editor. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, journalist and editor. Connect with Julie on Twitter. Email Julie at julie.hare@afr.com