Academic excellence from UK, for M’sia

UNIVERSITIES from the United Kingdom (UK) have an undisputed reputation for academic excellence and quality, drawing over a million international students from all over the world.

With many boasting traditions of excellence dating back hundreds of years and world-class rankings, it is no wonder that UK degrees are highly regarded by institutions and governments everywhere.

In recent years, established UK universities have been setting up branch campuses on Malaysian shores, which means students who wish to obtain a UK degree can now acquire top notch qualifications without having to leave the country.

Studying at these international branch campuses offers students the unique opportunity to benefit from the full course structure and quality of learning that is on par with the reputable higher learning institutions overseas, all while enjoying lower course fees and costs of living compared to the main campuses.

Several of the UK international campuses that call Malaysia home can be found in EduCity in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

These include three of the world’s top universities in their respective fields - University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM), University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM), and Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed).

Engineering success

Students in Malaysia and around the region can benefit from the easier access to prestigious UK education now more than ever, highlights Prof Rebecca Taylor, the Pro Vice Chancellor (ASEAN) and CEO of UoSM.

The campus offers unique 2+2 engineering programmes in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

“The distinguishing feature of our courses offered in Malaysia is a very strong commitment to the highest standards in engineering education.

“Our university is ranked first in the UK for overall engineering research activity, so access to these facilities represents a unique opportunity for Malaysian and other international students choosing to study with us.

“Our programmes are also taught by academics who are at the forefront of creation and implementation of modern engineering practices,” she added.

True to its reputation for being a research-driven institution, over 96% of the University of Southampton’s research has been assessed as world-leading and internationally excellent.

As such, the institution is strongly engaged in research activities within Malaysia and its vicinity as well.

Prof Taylor highlights that a Southampton engineering degree opens many doors or career opportunities for graduates. This is attributable to its emphasis on providing students with real world learning experiences.

“University of Southampton Malaysia is one of the top 25 UK universities targeted by the largest number of top 100 graduate recruiters.

“Most of our graduates are successfully employed at high-profile organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Ricardo, Intel, Panasonic, General Electric, Deutsche Bank, Maybank, Maxis and many more,” she highlighted.

Broadening horizons

Provost and CEO of UoRM Prof Wing Lam concurs that students in Malaysia will find it advantageous to have UK universities so close to home as they can now expand their horizons and adopt a global outlook without having to venture far.

“Ranked among the top 200 institutions in the world, the University of Reading in the UK has a long-established reputation for the quality of its teaching and research,” he explained.

“At UoRM, we offer students the same topnotch British education at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” Prof Lam pointed out.

Areas covered include business, accounting, finance, real estate, quantity surveying, building surveying, construction management, psychology, and pharmacy.

“What’s more, our Henley Business School is one of the oldest and most established business schools in the UK with strong industry partnerships.

“For example, for our BSc Accounting and Finance programme, we have partnered with ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) so that our students have a career advantage with the Business & Finance Professional (BFP) designation as well as a fast-track to ICAEW ACA chartered status,” he added.

Among other perks, students also benefit from the university’s wealth of state-of-the-art facilities, which include a financial dealing room utilising a real trading simulation software with a link to Reuters, the only such facility in Malaysia.

The university also has a dedicated BIM Lounge (Building Information Modelling High Performance Computing Lab), where its School of the Built Environment students have access to the latest industry software.

The forefront of medical education

Aspiring doctors can now realise their dreams with the premier UK medical education provider, Newcastle University, UK, which established NUMed as its first wholly owned international campus here in 2009.

Globally renowned, Newcastle University is a top 20 institution in the UK with a distinguished legacy as one of the UK’s leading medical schools at the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.

The essential factor for its position as a world-leading medical education provider is the quality of the educational experience it offers.

All activities are inextricably linked to contribute to the overall experience - well-designed innovative programmes are delivered to students by highly motivated and well-qualified academics, complemented by carefully considered student support strategies and a firm ethic of scholarship.

Provost and CEO of NUMed Prof Chris Baldwin highlights that this tradition of excellence continues in Malaysia, where undergraduate degrees in medicine and biomedical sciences with opportunities for foundation and postgraduate studies are offered.

“The curricula reflect the latest trends and developments in medicine, delivered by an accomplished and experienced teaching faculty,” he added.

Testament to this excellence was NUMed’s Anatomy teachers winning gold awards in the Malaysian Anatomical Association’s Education Symposium in the last two years for their innovative teaching methods.

In today’s ever-changing economic landscape, those with a globalised education and experience possess a distinct advantage when job-hunting.

Now, Malaysians as well as students from around the region will have easier access to internationally recognised UK degrees to enhance their employability and pave the way towards a brighter future.