Less students pursuing studies overseas due to economic slowdown

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KOTA KINABALU: The number of Malaysian students pursuing tertiary education abroad has dropped by 20 to 30 per cent following the economic slowdown, said GES Global Education Services (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Peter Wong.

Last year, Wong said only about 12,000 visas were approved for Malaysian students opting to further their studies in United Kingdom, whereas for Australia it was less than 20,000.

“The number of students going to these countries has dropped by 20 to 30 per cent since the economic recession,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wong said only a few thousands of Malaysian students chose American universities last year.

“The tuition fees and living costs of studying in the United States (US) have gone up by around 28 per cent this year compared to 2015 due to the currency exchange.

“It means that for every RM100,000 that parents spend for their children studying in the US, they now have to fork out RM30,000 more,” Wong said when asked during an education fair organized by the company at Pacific Sutera Harbour Resort here yesterday.

That said, Wong pointed out, students with good academic results preferred to study abroad.

He said many higher learning institutions also offered scholarships of between 10 and 100 per cent for foundation or degree programmes.

“Some students choose to undertake their first and second year of undergraduate studies in Malaysia and complete their final year overseas; while some complete their bachelor degree in the country and continue their postgraduate programme abroad.”

On another note, Wong said Sabahan students opt mainly for medicine, architecture, interior design, real estate property and teaching English as a second language (TESL) courses.

He said mass communications, animation and digital media courses were also gaining popularity.

The GES Global Education Services education fair has previously been held in Miri, Sibu, Kuching, Bintulu, Tawau and Sandakan.

The education fair will be held at My Inn Hotel, Lahad Datu from 12 pm to 4 pm on March 25 and Hotel Dorsett Grand, Labuan, from 2 pm to 6 pm on March 26.

Besides local institutions, parents and students can meet with over 30 overseas universities’ representatives from Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland to find out about high schools, pre-university, undergraduate or postgraduate programmes.

The education fair will provide an avenue for parents and students to seek advice from the counselors to better understand specific fields of study, as well as general advice on what to do next.

Students and parents are welcome to the fair to find out the latest information on courses, admission requirements, tuition fees, future career prospects, scholarships and accommodations from various institutions participating in the education fairs. Admission is free.

Students who submit their applications on-the-spot will receive a free pre-loaded Starbucks card worth RM 30.

Additionally, the company will also be holding ‘Application and Information Day’ at its Kota Kinabalu office located in Metro Town, Block A, Unit No. 2, First Floor, Jalan Bunga Ulam Raja on March 16 to 19, 9 am to 9 pm. Students are advised to bring along their academic transcript and identification card for application purposes.