Tech key to Malaysian education hub

Ram Ramachandran:

MALAYSIA has set for itself an ambitious goal to become the region's premier centre for higher education, aiming to attract 200,000 international students to its shores by 2020, on top of its local student intake.

Success will mean that Malaysia would have been able to shake off stiff competition from neighbouring Singapore or even Indonesia, rake in billions in educational revenue and add significant depth to the country's manpower pool to ensure future growth in a knowledge-driven economy.

However, high costs of building infrastructure and the speed required to attract students and roll out curriculum effectively could pose major bottlenecks.

The price of failure will not only be lower student enrolment and insufficient skilled workers but also will deny Malaysia the opportunity to position itself as a leading global player in offering off-campus online education -- another opportunity which can have major benefits for the country.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 25, 2012 1:33 AM
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