International learning experience
HERIOT-WATT University has been named International University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018.
The Times editor Alastair McCall said, “More than most (educational institutions), Heriot-Watt has embraced the worldview that marks out the finest higher education, making it our International University of the Year.”
McCall said that with new, high-quality campuses in Malaysia and Dubai, Heriot-Watt students have outstanding opportunities to study abroad as part of their degree, while the overseas campuses also provide openings for students to travel in the opposite direction and experience Edinburgh firsthand.
The university is also recognised for its global presence and impact, ranking 41st in the world for its international outlook.
This score is based on the percentage of the university’s international staff, the level of international co-authorship of academic papers and the percentage of international students studying at the university.
Premier education
Established in 1821, Heriot-Watt is the eighth oldest higher education institution in the UK.
With deep roots in Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt has since expanded its reach to include two other campuses in the UK, one in the United Arab Emirates and one in Malaysia.
It offers the best of premier education and knowledge transfer with renowned works in practical, leading-edge research.
Among others, Heriot-Watt shines as a truly global institution with seamless intercampus transfers made easy and accessible to all its students.
Third-year MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Muhammad Irfan Mohd Iwan Jefry, is currently studying at the university’s UK campus.
“Since the programme allowed me to transfer overseas for any amount of time, this seemed like the best opportunity for me financially,” he said.
While studying in Malaysia, Irfan commuted back and forth between his home and the campus every day.
“However, in the UK, I live mostly on campus, so I have learned to manage my time in terms of cooking, cleaning, shopping and studying,” he said.
“Sometimes I go to the park to study. The important thing is that studying is the same wherever I go, just with different lecturers and classmates.”
Fellow third-year MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student Chooi Li said, “The classes in the UK are much bigger than in Malaysia.
“There are also more international students on campus, which makes for interesting group projects as many different points of views are brought into the project.”
Chooi Li is also fond of the learning and teaching culture in the UK.
Final-year MA (Hons) International Business Management student from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, Kim Ritchie, transferred to the Malaysia campus.
“Since the Malaysia campus is newer than the Edinburgh campus, the class sizes are considerably smaller.
“This means students can spend more time engaging with discussions with the lecturers,” she said, adding she enjoyed studying in Malaysia.
“The opportunity to study in Malaysia was appealing from many perspectives. Continuing the same programme while experiencing an entirely different culture and country seemed like a win-win situation and the sunny climate in Malaysia made it an even easier decision to make.”
Travel opportunities abound
In addition, students who transfer to Malaysia also have the opportunity to tour the tropics.
“We were able to use Malaysia as a base to travel to other Asian countries,” said Thomas Bill, a final-year student pursuing the MA (Hons) International Business Management.
“The opportunities to travel to other countries are great, never mind the brilliant opportunities to travel around Malaysia itself.”
Highlighting the truly global nature of the university, students from Heriot-Watt’s global campuses recently converged at HeriotWatt University Malaysia’s lakeside campus in Putrajaya for its first ever Inter-Campus Boat Race competition.
It was a splashing event that brought students of diverse nationalities together with the goal of cultivating an atmosphere of happiness and resilience.
It was one of the events carried out under Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s A Happier U campaign.
“Initiatives such as A Happier U by Heriot-Watt University Malaysia will go a long way in ensuring that graduates are resilient, emotionally intelligent, happy and career ready,” said Higher Education director-general Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir.
Dr Siti said the Education Blueprint by the Ministry of Higher Education recognises the importance of developing holistic, entrepreneurial and balanced graduates.
“We are also advocating humanising the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as we see it as an important pre-requisite for our youth and nation to remain productive and play a key global role in this century.”
Environmental focus
Professor Bryn Jones, the deputy vice-principal for Heriot-Watt’s Dubai campus who accompanied the Dubai team, also highlighted the event’s significance to HeriotWatt’s Year of the Sea, a campaign that spans all its campuses and takes a deeper look at conservation and education related to oceans, seas and other bodies of water.
Heriot-Watt University’s Dr Heidi Burdett, who is also a researcher at the Edinburgh Institution’s Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, said scientists must also look around the world for answers.
She said, “As part of HeriotWatt’s Year of the Sea programme, we will be focusing on marine research not just in Scotland, but at our global campuses too.
“We need a much greater understanding of what is happening in our lochs, rivers, seas and oceans.”
To find out more about the Year of the Sea campaign, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s A Happier U campaign and its foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as scholarships on offer, visit its campus in Putrajaya during its Open Days on April 21 and 22.
Alternatively, visit the campus during consultation hours from 9am to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Heriot-Watt University is recognised for its global presence and impact, ranking 41st in the world for its international outlook.