Malaysia: From Hub to Exporter of Higher Education and Implications
Yuk Fong Chin

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors that have turned Malaysia into an exporter of higher education as well as their implications. Malaysia has been striving to develop a world-class higher education system that will help transform its production-based economy into a knowledge-based economy by 2020. In the 1990s, public universities were corporatized to become less dependent on government subsidies. With the passing of the 1996 Private Higher Education Act, private higher education began to expand in Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia is a highly favoured study destination for international students from India, Bangladesh, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Malaysia’s political stability and its open-market economy have provided a secure environment for international students. Further, the government has been clear about its intention of making higher education an export industry. It has adopted several measures to ensure the orderly maintenance of education quality through the National Accreditation Board, and subsequently, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. Since the demand for higher education will continue to increase in the next 20 years, Malaysian higher institutions of learning will be able to widen their market share while strengthening the government’s strategy to make higher education an export industry.

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