KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia as an education hub, sounds odd? However, it is not necessarily this though. This country has many universities that offer foreign degrees along with numerous diploma courses recognised by various governing bodies of Malaysia. It cannot get better for Nepalis as the fee structure is one-third lesser than in the UK or USA. Browsing through varied options For instance, the Curtin University, one of the best Australian universities, has a branch in Sarawak. This is the largest international campus in the country. The degrees offered are various that range from Bachelors, Masters to PhD and the programmes are available in arts, engineering and science streams. The university also offers pre-university courses. You can study here and if you wish to transfer to Australia, it can be done too. Then there is Brickfields Asia College (BAC), which has partnerships and affiliations with more than 25 universities and offers law and business degrees along with many foundation degrees. “We only offer British qualification and the reality is we can offer the same if arguably not better level of education here,” says Philip Leonard, Managing Director at the college. Another advantage is — going to the UK requires 6 or 7 in IELTS, but “it is not necessarily required here”. Taylor’s University, Lakeside Campus in Kuala Lampur is a leading private university and was established in 1969. Since then it has banked on quality education. Numerous courses are offered here along with many courses that are affiliated to universities in the UK and USA. The facilities will astound anyone, after all there are many eating joints from cafes to restaurants to fine dining in the campus. It also boasts of Rumez Hotel, a boutique hotel. The impressive part is that hospitality students get firsthand experience working at fine dining restaurants and the hotel. And underestimating the service at the hotel is being foolish. Professional courses are also offered here, which are customisable programme and short courses. These universities and college are renowned in Malaysia, but a college that is promising is Admal Aviation College. It offers a new path for Nepalis interested to enter the aviation industry as aviation engineers, airport crew, flight operation, airline ticketing officer, ground handling crew et cetera. At present there are 10 programmes ranging from diploma to Bachelors degree. The courses are 60 per cent practical and 40 per cent theoretical giving students all-round development. And the airworthy aircraft owned by the college where students can practice their practicals give them a cutting edge. Every programme will grasp attention depending on the students’ choice. One programme that is intriguing is DCAM Part 66 Licensing Program. If you want to become a licensed aircraft engineer, then this is what you opt for. “If they enrol in DCAM programme (four-year course), the job is guaranteed in any part of the world. The salary range is international based,” informed Heman, Head of Business Development at the college. When students apply for the licence their age must be 21. Something different It is not only about studies, education is what makes the entire experience whole. For this the institutions need to offer something different, which is what they have done. As a self accreditation university, Curtin “can accredit our own programme, also we can assess ourselves through our quality assurance process,” said Professor Yudi Samyudia, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor at the university. Other than this, the university reaches out to the students to find their problems. “We have a campus hotline, students can call anytime and the students can connect to the correct department. We help them deal with the problems rather than punishing them,” said Jean-Paul Mouton, Head of International. Extracurricular activities are often taken as time pass, but it is more than that, helping students reach out for more. Thus, Taylor’s University introduced Shine award programme where “our students along with graduate certificate get a second transcript, where activities students take part in or organised or involved in are recognised by the university,” explained Stephanie Joan Aeria, Senior Executive, International Student Recruitment. This second transcript is endorsed by big companies, one being BMW. What Nepali students need to know Opting for a course or degree is a student’s choice, but the ultimate goal for many is to land a good job. And prior experience counts, so internship or on the job training are provided. The duration varies according to the course. On internship they get basic allowance to cover pocket expenses. However, there is no guarantee that a foreign student can land a job in Malaysia. During internship, if the employer is impressed with the student it all depends on the company as they will apply for the work visa. The institutions nonetheless give a pathway for the career, not a job. Although students are allowed to work for 20 hours legally during holidays, “working is not encouraged as they are on student visa,” says every institution representative. Thus, Malaysia is the perfect destination for students who are serious about their studies and career. As far as scholarship is concerned, it is merit-based and only for well deserving students as “we already have a reasonable fee structure, there is a limit to what we can give away,” reasoned Leonard. Another important query could be the living situation. All the institutions have hostel facility, but one can reside outside the campus too. Osama Iqbal from Pakistan, a student at Curtin University said, “Living standard is moderate, but it’s cheap so it’s good.” Mirjaveed Iqbal, from Bangladesh is also happy with BAC. “I chose this college as it seemed accessible, fee-wise and college-wise. I chose this for its tutorial methods. Teachers and lecturers are very accessible. Whatever we learnt in the morning, the tutorials are there in the afternoon.” Sushmita Sherpa from Bouddha, Kathmandu, who now resides in Malaysia couldn’t ask for better. She opted for SEGi University & Colleges and is pursuing business management, a course from University of Greenwich, England. “Studies are excellent here as it’s different from Nepal, which is more bookish. Here the priority is on practical knowledge like research. Thus, you acquire knowledge from every aspect. All this at a cheaper fee structure made me choose this university.” For courses’ detailed info BAC: www.baci.edu.my Curtin University: www.curtin.edu.my Taylor’s University: www.taylors.edu.my Admal Aviation College: www.admal.com.my Segi University & Colleges: segi.edu.my Tafe Kolej: www.tafeseremban.edu.my Sunway Education Group: sunway.edu.my If you feel you need help applying, then you can consult Study Plus Pvt Ltd,Kamaladi Mode. It is supported by the Embassy of Malaysia to promote higher education in Nepal. Also there are some newly introduced scholarship schemes for eligible Nepali students. Contact Umesh Adhikari, 01- 4266716