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1 SNAPSHOT Education Aa OVERVIEW Private education a main driver for excellence in learning PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OPINION UUM a center for Islamic business education Banking on innovative spirit Taking aviation training to new heights ANALYSIS OF INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH PARTNERS Skills development can bear fruits TOP 10 AL INSTITUTIONS File photo RATING BY INSIDE INVESTOR Education a sector that generates returns For the full report, please visit the Inside Investor store: store.insideinvestor.com INSIDE MALAYSIA JULY 137

2 OVERVIEW Private education a main driver for excellence in learning Over the past years, the Malaysian government has shown great commitment to the higher education sector by trying to ensure that all qualified students have access to it. Loans and scholarships were made available for students enrolled in both public and private higher education institutions to increase the overall participation rate. Tourism Malaysia The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), established in 2004, is responsible for all tertiary education in Malaysia. According to the current Minister of Higher Education, Dato Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the challenge is to provide students with world-class higher education to produce more researchers, scientists, engineers, professionals, specialists, and skilled technical talent who can succeed in an increasingly competitive global market. MOHE s mission is to create a higher education environment that is able to foster the development of academic and institutional excellence. According to MOHE, approximately 900,000 students currently pursue their MOHE s mission is to create a higher education environment for academic excellence. Tourism Malaysia higher education in 20 public universities, 33 private universities and university colleges, four foreign university branch campuses, 22 polytechnics, 37 community colleges, and about 500 private colleges. According to figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, only 24.2 per cent of the labour force in the country had attained a higher education degree by 2010, or 2,788,700 out of 11,517,200 people. The largest share of the labour force received secondary education as the highest attained level of formal education, namely 55.7 per cent. The remaining 20.1 per cent did not receive any degree of formal schooling higher than primary school level. 138 Inside MALAYSIA JULY 2012

3 OVERVIEW The relative large number of private providers in higher education is complementing the public education sector and has increased access to tertiary education for Malaysian citizens as well as for international students. Tertiary education in Malaysia is divided into public and private sector funded institutions of higher learning. Slightly less than 50 per cent of the students enrolled in tertiary education in Malaysia attend public colleges and universities, while the other half of the students are enrolled in private higher educational institutions. In comparison, in primary and secondary education 95 per cent are enrolled in a public funded institution. The relative large number of private providers in higher education is complementing the public education sector and has increased access to tertiary education for both Malaysian citizens as well as for international students. Over time, the number of private providers has been increasing steadily. To encourage further higher education participation for all that qualify, the government has set up two main student support mechanisms in the form of student loans and scholarships. All students can obtain student loans to subsidise their studies at a concessional annual interest rate of three per cent. Students who obtain a First Class An investment of 3.4b ringgit by the private sector is required until 2020 to lower the number of unskilled workers in Malaysia and give them access to training facilities. Honours degree do not have to repay their loan at all. Different kinds of scholarships are provided to certain students that qualify, either based on their study success or because of their poor financial background. Among students who receive a scholarship, only 4.5 per cent are enrolled in a private education institution. While some scholarships are granted to students who study in Malaysia, the majority of the funds is for students studying abroad. Among students who receive a scholarship, only 4.5 per cent are enrolled in a private education institution.

4 Public and Private Opinion UUM a center for Islamic business education Universiti Utara Malaysia s business degrees are the highly sought after due to their specialised offerings and their Islamic focus. Its Vice-Chancellor talks about UUM s success and his hopes for the future. Pro. Dato Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak Chairman and Vice-Chancellor Universiti Utara Malaysia Malaysia s northern-most university UUM is not only a draw for students, it also has managed to establish a global reputation as a leading business school in Islamic countries. For the first time ever, Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB) of UUM organised the Inaugural Convention of the World Association of Business Schools in Islamic Countries (WAiBS) on July 8-9, 2012, held on Langkawi Island. With the theme of Empowering the Ummah through Strategic Business School Partnerships, the first convention was an important platform for scholars from business schools in member states of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) to collaborate and establish smart partnerships with corporate partners to address economic, business and management issues, as well as develop, share and apply business and management knowledge and ideas for the creation of sustainable development of economy, society and environment of OIC countries. According to the Dean of OYAGSB, Prof. Dr. Noor Azizi Ismail, WAiBS is an association of business schools in the OIC countries committed to the advancement of management and business education and knowledge. It is in the spirit of creating, sharing and working together for the betterment of the Muslim ummah that our school initiates the founding of WAiBS, which is deemed to be timely and relevant given the issues surrounding the current Muslim nation. Professor Dato' Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, Vice Chancellor of UUM, said "we hope that by the establishment of this association we can bring together business schools from Islamic countries to share and to have exchanges for the benefit of the business schools and the Islamic countries". He added that "of more importance is to see how schools from Islamic countries can work together to spearhead research and development for the betterment of the Muslim ummah." MIDDLE EAST STUDENTS UUM, which was launched in 1984, has about 1,000 students from all over the Middle East, representing about one third of the foreign student population at the entire Kedah campus. The total number of students at UUM presently is more than 34,000. We want to increase the number of foreign students in the university to 30 per cent from ten per cent, said Dato Dr. Mohamed. We have the potential and capacity to fulfil this ambition. We have already signed MoUs with London Business School and many top institutions in the US. So we have partners around the world. These universities won t sign with you if they don t think you have the quality. He said the university s programmes in Islamic Business, Accountancy and International Business, among others, have proved popular with local and foreign students with many graduates going on to strong careers in foreign affairs or with multinational companies. The Malaysian government started UUM in order to increase the number of quality management personnel in the country, which had previously relied on expatriates to fill top-level posts. Now, UUM s business degrees are the most sought after in Malaysia and, after 27 years of educating generations of managers, it has emerged as the second largest university in the country. UUM enjoys 100 per cent backing from the Malaysian government and one of its major strengths is that most of its programmes are offered in English. This is of particular advantage to Middle Eastern students who return to their home countries with improved English skills and better opportunities in the job market. In addition, UUM is expanding its reach across Malaysia to encourage those already in the workforce to strengthen their academic portfolios. Through its Executive Development Center, UUM provides Malaysians and others who are in full-time employment the 140 Inside MALAYSIA JULY 2012

5 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OPINION opportunity to pursue higher education while continuing their jobs. The EDC has opened centers throughout Malaysia by forging partnerships with related industries. Society accepts the concept of lifelong education for all as a norm and programme offers people the chance to study while still employed, Dato Dr. Mohamed was quoted as saying by local media. Courses being offered include Masters in Business Administration, Executive Diploma and short courses in English and Effective Leadership. Hot wired In its quest to keep up with the latest Internet technology and communication trends, UUM has made wireless Internet access available throughout its campus. More than 2,000 computer terminals are available for use by students at various computer laboratories. They are all linked to the Integrated Sintok Local Area Network for access to the web. In addition, there are wireless hotspots scattered throughout the school with all students given their own personal account. Technology has also been integrated into UUM s Sultanah Bahiyah Library, which uses LINTAS (Library Information Technology Automated System) that catalogues and organises more than 1 million titles in either printed or digital form. The library s collection includes more than 290,000 printed materials, 654,000 non-printed items and 96,000 electronic titles. It also subscribes to more than 29,000 electronic journals and 42,000 e-book titles. Online services allow users to make collections in an efficient manner. With so many foreign students, as well as Malaysian students who are far from home, UUM is a fully residential university and offers a mini-city atmosphere by maintaining a vast network of accommodation and related facilities. A total of 15 residential halls provide accommodation for 22,000 students, including a special hall for married students. Residential comfort Each hall has common rooms, cafeteria, laundry facilities, shops, recreation centers and sports facilities. In addition, there are places of worship for all religions, including the Sultan Badlishah Mosque, which can hold prayers for up to 5,000 worshippers at one time. The prayer hall is also recognised as the first higher education cyber mosque, providing wired and wireless internet services. Chinese and Hindu temples, Buddhit Wats and churches for a range of denominations are available for those who hold to those respective faiths. No town would be complete without adequate healthcare and UUM fulfils this role with its University Health Center, which provides comprehensive medical and dental treatment, counselling, first aid, surgery and medication for students and staff. The Center s facilities include a computerised haematology laboratory, imaging and diagnostic laboratory as well as paediatric and ante-natal clinical services. Sports plays an important part in university life and UUM provides facilities for a great variety of sports disciplines. An Olympic-sized swimming pool, mini stadium with top-class running track, archery range, grass fields and other facilities cater for almost every sport, including football, rugby, hockey, track and field, badminton, tennis, basketball, volleyball, softball, handball, netball and even motorsports, among others. UUM is the first university in the world to have an on-campus go-kart track. The UUM International Go-Kart Circuit is 1.2 kilometers long, covering 5.67 acres and cost about RM2 million to build. The circuit has been sanctioned by the world governing body for motorsports, FIA, and is one of only four tracks in the world to run in an anti-clockwise direction. Leisure and recreation activities at the UUM do not stop with sports and hobbies. MALL COMPLEX The campus also contains the Varsity Mall, which has a post office, banking facilities, bookshop, restaurant, minimarket and other features and attractions found in shopping malls around the world. Shopping also extends to a commercial center that boasts plenty of stalls managed by students and that sell a range of items and goods. UUM has certainly made an impact among Malaysian and international students as more than just a tertiary learning center. It has earned a reputation as a living, breathing and growing academic institution that continues to produce high-quality students who are armed not only with comprehensive knowledge and skills, but also with important life experiences. UUM Inside MALAYSIA JULY

6 Public and Private Opinion Banking on innovative spirit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is steering its course towards placing its brand name on the global academic map under the helm of its Vice Chancellor, Professor Dato Ir. Dr. Zaini bin Ujang. Professor Datuk Ir. Dr. Zaini bin Ujang Vice Chancellor, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Q: Can you explain how UTM s Global Plan will make the university more innovative, entrepreneurial and global? A: The UTM Global Plan is to position UTM among the top 50 in the world university ranking by The aim is to become renowned in terms of outstanding scholarly contributions, quality human capital development, impactful contribution to the Malaysian and regional innovation economy, prominence at the international level and a reputable academic brand. To achieve this, UTM needs to stay competitive with first class mindset, strong innovative spirit and potent entrepreneurial capacity while embracing scholarly achievement in terms of research and development, publication, commercialisation, excellent work culture, fertile campus ecosystem, and strong financial standing. Q: Malaysia needs to hurdle over the middle-income trap by unlocking human capital. How are UTM students being prepared for this? A: UTM aims to produce quality and talented graduates who are not only competent in their specialised discipline in terms of technical knowledge and skills, but also equipped with high values and exemplary attributes. We are also committed to produce graduates who not just seek employment but are also entrepreneurial in creating jobs for themselves as well as for others. As such, UTM provides exposure to students in one two-credit course called Job Creation where students are involved in bidding for actual projects at the university by setting up their own companies. They have to come up with their business proposals, which is a good training ground for engaging in real-life projects. Microcredit facilities are also made available. Q: UTM generated an impressive number of patents in What were some of the more stand-out patents for? A: 182 inventions in various categories of intellectual properties were protected in 2011, where 70 were filed under patents with the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office (MyIPO). Among others, a patent that is considered outstanding is the Building Assembly System by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Mahir Mahtar. Even though most of intellectual property rights, or IPRs, are obtained from research and development activities, any IPRs generated from operational activities can also be recommended for protection. This is to ensure that the culture of innovation and sense of awareness of the rights to one s IPR are observed by all in UTM. To ensure that our IPRs can benefit UTM and the inventors, an innovation ecosystem has been established where all innovations or inventions will be channelled to the Innovation and Commercialisation Center. Q: Can you describe a story-worthy UTM alumnus for our readers that exemplifies your goals? A: An alumnus of UTM who exemplifies UTM s goal is Dato Wei Chuan Beng, who is currently the Managing Director of REDtone, a leading broadband service provider and Multimedia Super Corridor status company. He obtained his Bachelor s Degree in Electrical Engineering from UTM in His entrepreneurial pursuit is reflected in his company s in-house research and development capabilities and home-grown technological innovation, with strong capabilities in business management, business relations and policies. Q: What education-related infrastructure do you think would benefit the most from additional investment? A: With the current reduction in budget allocation for development projects, UTM is committed to engage in sustainable, ecofriendly integrated development projects, with funding from investors and partners identified by the university. For example, the High-End Accommodation project in Kuala Lumpur for UTM students, to be funded by EPF with approval from the Finance Ministry, is already in the pipeline. Another project proposed is the Eco-Metropolis in UTM Johor Bahru. The project will encompass commercial, residential, medical, recreational and education. The aim for the university is to develop high impact catchment areas to generate high returns. 142 Inside MALAYSIA JULY 2012

7 Public and Private Opinion Taking aviation training to new heights Asia Pacific Flight Training (APFT), Malaysia s leading training center for cadet pilots, is expanding its services to provide its students with a wider range of career opportunities. Dato Faruk Othman Executive Chairman, APFT APFT, with its base at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Bharu, offers courses for private, commercial and airline transport pilot licences, as well as multi-engine, instrument and assistant flight instructor ratings. In training, cadets are exposed to an aviation environment where domestic airline operations occur daily. Sultan Ismail Petra Airport operates a first-class airfield, equipped with radar equipment and an instrument landing system. The school was officially opened in It is the first Malaysian flight school to be accredited as a private institution of higher learning and is listed on Bursa Malaysia. The school has a fleet of over 30 aircraft, including Piper and Diamond aircraft. APFT is fully accredited by the Department of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as an advanced tertiary training institution. The school now also offers a Diploma in Aviation (Pilot Training), which has been approved by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The Diploma in Aviation gives the students opportunities to continue with alternatives to being a pilot, such as continuing with a degree course of their choice, or embarking on other businesses, Dato Faruk Othman, APFT Executive Chairman, told Inside Investor. APFT s cadets are fully licensed after graduation to join any airline for further training and employment. The academy is recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, or ICAO, which acknowledges Malaysia as a member of the organisation. APFT has trained cadets from Indonesia, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia, and they have all returned home for their type-rating training. Cadets have also joined Indonesian airlines for further training and employment. The current flight training course is an approved course following the Joint Aviation Authority Training Organisation of Europe and is recognised internationally. APFT students training to become commercial pilots are eligible for study loans from the National Higher Education Fund. The academy is also starting new programmes for aircraft maintenance engineering, which is considered as an expansion of the company and will give students a wider range of choice for a career in aviation. Inside MALAYSIA JULY