PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF

HIGHER LEARNING
PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
i. Introduction

 Opportunities for higher education in Malaysia were limited.

 Present as tutorial centres for transnational programmes that were geared towards
selected qualifications.

 Government-led to a private sector-led strategy for development in the country in

1980.

 Economic recovery and the subsequent buoyant economic growth in the second
half of the 1980s.
 Development of this sector was boosted with the enactment of the Private Higher
Educational Institutions Act 1996.

 Dynamic growth served to reduce international exchange losses by providing an

alternative pathway to an overseas education for domestic students.
ii. Types of Private Higher Education Institutions (PRHEIS)

Table 4.1: Five main type of PrHeIS operating in Malaysia.

NO Category of Private Education Number of Private

Institutions
1. Private Universities 23
2. University Colleges 21
3. Foreign University Branch Campuses 5
4. Colleges 403
5. Total 452
 Half are private universities while slightly less than half are university colleges
and private colleges that have been upgraded to the status of universities based
on the given set of criteria determined by the Ministry of Higher Education
(MOHE).
 At 2011, there are few foreign universities set up branch campuses in Malaysia
which are Monash University, Cuttin University of Technology and Swinburne
University of Technology from Australia and Nottingham University from UK.
 At 2009, Medical Faculty from the University of New castle that is located in the
Iskandar Corridor in the state of Johor.
iii. Push and Pull Factors in the Development of PrHEIS

 Involved in the development of PrHEIS as these institutions by

and large conduct transnational educational programmes that are
imported from the develop world.
 Acting in isolation are not enough to drive the explosive growth in
PrHEIS in the country.
 Specific points in time that fostered the exponential growth of
these institutions.
iv. Pull factors
Excess demand for higher education in Malaysia

 Enrolment ratio was only 1 per cent in 1975, increasing to 12 per cent in the mid
1980s.
 The extent of excess demand may also be inferred from the number of
Malaysians studying abroad for a degree, diploma or certificate.
 According to Sivalingam, there were about 19,515 Malaysian students studying
abroad for a degree in 1980.
 The number studying abroad increased from 63,000 in 1985 to 103,736 in 2001
and fell by half to 56,609 in 2005.
Policy shift towards import-substitution and export generation.

 In 1995, Mahathir Mohamad announced a plan for transforming Malaysia into a

fully develop economy and society by 2020

 In 1996, it was reported that approximately 50,000 students were studying

abroad, leading to an outflow of U$ 1 billion a year in terms of international
exchange.

 Both import-substitution and export promotion are supported by a relative cost

advantage of studying in Malaysia.

 Several government measures are provided to facilitate both import substitution

and export promotion:
1. The development of private provisions was facilitated with the enactment of the
Private Higher Educational Institutional Act in 1996, as it enabled the private sector to
establish degree granting institutions as well as foreign universities to set up branch
campuses in the country.

2.The programmes of PrHEIs are allowed to be taught in English.

3.Academic interests are safeguarded with the imposition of quality assurance measures
such as the provisions of basic standards and quality that are develop by the National
Accreditation Board (LAN) based on international and national best practices in
consultation with the stakeholders and the professionals bodies.-

4. The government subsequently adopted the Malaysian Quality Framework (MQF) as

the platform for Quality Assurance in Malaysia in December 2005.
5. The availability of quality assurance in the form of LAN accreditation has also enabled
local private universities to sell their own home-grown programmes to international students.

6. The availability of quality assurance in the form of LAN accreditation has also enabled
local private universities to sell their own home-grown programmes to international students.

7. The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) was established in 2004 to oversee the
governance of tertiary education.

8. Provisions of loans to students studying in both private and public higher education
institutions facilitated access for students.

9. Incentives are also given such as double deduction for the promotion of export of higher
education, and tax exemptions on the value of increased export of services
Economic recessions

• Curtailed the financial abilities to pay for overseas education.

• The accumulated international reserves in the country
outflows.
• Sponsoring government scholar for an overseas education
became increasingly expensive.
• effected for parents to send and provide an overseas
education for their children.
• The depreciation of RM during the Asian Financial Crisis.
Push factors
Changes in the high education sector in the UK and Aussie.

UK Australia

• British higher edu became • At the same time,

popular destination for Australian gov imposed
Malaysian students to an overseas student
pursue their study. charge.
 UK
• Reputation of high-quality
provider of English language.
• British universities being seen
as international and national
institution during the
twentieth century.
Australia
• The enrolment of overseas
students are being limited to
ensure the international
students are not displace the
Australian students.
The universities in Australia and UK:

• Leader in developing overseas-validated courses (OVC)

• The changes in fees reduce the demand of private edu
sector.
Visa regulations for studies in the US after 9/11

• Visa applications for study in the US became more

stringent.
• The number of students from predominantly Muslim
countries studying in US have declined significantly since
2001.
• Visa application processes over delays and denial.
DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF INTERNALIZATION

• The PrHEIs in Malaysia are the movement of programmes, students,

lecturers and providers.

• Some PrHEIs are also engaged in research and research collaboration

with international partners.
Mobility of Programmes

 A variety of programmes are offered by PrHEIs.

 Some PrHEIs offer their own internally developed programmes, others offer
transnational programmes.

 Early 1980s, private providers offered skills and business-related professional

qualifications.

 PrHEIs provided tuition support for students who sit for external examination.
 PrHEIs had to forge various types of linkages with foreign universities because
they are not allowed to confer degrees.

 Private colleges have franchise programmes, twinning degree programmes, credit

transfer programmes, external degree programmes and disatance learning
programmes.
Types of Transnational Programmes Conduted by PrHEIs

No Types of Programme Description of Programmes

1. 3+0 Foreign University Degree
Programmes completed in Malaysia.
2. Foreign University's External Degree
Programme
leading to degree qualifications.
3. Split Degree Programmes
PrHEIs permit by foreign university partner to
conduct the entire degree programme.
• Students register as an “external student” with a
foreign univeristy
• The syllabi, entry requirements and examinations
are determined by the foreign university.
Several options of degree:-

• Twinning programme
• American degree transfer / credit degree transfer
• Advanced standing entry option
4. Distance Learning Programme Similar to the external degree programme
Arrangements
 Mobility of Students and Lecturers

• Malaysia starred out as an importer of higher education in the

country.

• English as the medium of instruction was changed from

English to the national language,Bahasa Melayu in 1974.

• Increasing provision of transnational programme has therefore

increased the enrolment of students studying in PrHEIs over
time.
 Total enrolment of students studying has more doubled from
127,423(1995) to 261,043(2000)
 It cannot be ascertained as to how many in this number may
have substituted a local education
 The government aims to increase this to 40 per cent (2010),45
per cent(2015) and 50 per cent( 2020)
 The rapid expansion of PrHEIs in the country as well as their
growth in student enrolment led to an interesting emphasis
 The number of international students enrolled in PrHEIs grew
from 22,827(2001) to 62,705(2010)
 Public HEIs have a quota on the number of international
students at the undergraduate level and it is underutilised
 However,starting from 2007 there is a jump in the number of
international students enrolled at these public instituitions
 From 2008 onwards shows an increase in the enrolment in
both private and international
 The bulk of the staff,be it Malaysian or foreigners that is hired
at private HEIs have mainly a first and second degree
 There is no significant shift of lecturers from the public
universities to the private universities
 It apppears that local and international academic staff are
offered the same pay

 Some PrHEIs also source their foreign lecturers from other

less developed countries
Mobility of Providers
Mobility of Providers

 It is not deemed to be a restrictive factor for establishing

commercial presence.

 Foreign partner prefer to hold less equity as there is less risk.

 Local partners help the foreign partner

 Enables INTI’S programmes to be franchised to Laureate
Education’s international network.
 More local and international students attracted to study at college.
Conclusion

 PrHels undergone substantial changers over the last decades since

Independence.

 These institutions evolved from being more tutorial centres to

full-fledged universities that are conduction their own home
grown programmes.

 PrHEls tend to claim to have been international in their outlook

by virtue of their transnational programmes.