Identifying challenges in internationalizing higher education in Malaysia: preliminary findings

Abstract

Internationalization of higher education in Malaysia is seen as a means for improving and empowering higher education so that higher education institutions in the country can become comparable to the best in the world. It is chosen as one of seven key strategic thrusts for transforming higher education in Malaysia. Specifically, the objective of internationalization from the government point of view is to enable Malaysia to become a hub for excellence in international higher education. While the opening up of higher education to the private sector has improved access for local as well as international students, the numerous types of private higher education institutions in the country imply that they may have different understanding of and motivations for internationalization. Public higher education institutions have also expanded in the last decade and have also embarked on internationalization, albeit with different levels of priorities and intensities. Given the rapid development in higher education in Malaysia at both the private and public level, the objectives of this study are as follows: • To assess higher education institutions' understanding and practice of internationalization; • To investigate their motivations for internationalizing their respective institutions; and • To identify the challenges they face in internationalizing their respective institutions.