Ministry confident of attracting more than 200,000 foreign students
PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry is confident of attracting more than the target of 200,000 foreign students coming to Malaysia by 2020.
Minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the procedure, process and management for the intake of foreign students had been and were being improved by private and government universities.
He said amendments to the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 ( Act 555) would also be tabled in Parliament to facilitate entry applications for foreign students.
“The quality of education in private universities has been improved with many achievements while Kuala Lumpur is known as an affordable city for foreign students,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Idris said there were currently about 150,000 foreign students pursuing education in the country.
Earlier, Idris signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) involving the Malaysian and Senegal governments for collaboration in the field of higher education and scientific research relating to tertiary education.
The Senegal Government was represented by its Minister of Higher Education and Research, Professor Mary Teuw Niane.
Through the MoU, Senegal agrees to collaborate in research work, exchange of students and lecturers, as well as sending students to Malaysia.
At the event, Idris also announced that 10 scholarships would be offered to Senegal students to pursue post- graduate courses in Malaysia in various fields.
He said there were currently about 70 Senegal students studying here. — Bernama