malaysia & vietnam - june 2016
TRANSCRIPT
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Malaysia & Vietnam 13 – 17 June 2016
Delegation Report
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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
UK delegates ............................................................................................................................. 4
Context: Malaysia ...................................................................................................................... 5
Domestic political context ...................................................................................................... 5
Higher education sector ......................................................................................................... 5
Collaboration with the UK ...................................................................................................... 5
Networking participants: Malaysia ............................................................................................. 6
Tuesday 14 June, Briefing session at the British High Commission ................................... 10
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 10
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 10
Tuesday 14 June, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia ............................................................. 11
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 11
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 11
Tuesday 14 June, Ministry of Higher Education .................................................................. 12
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 12
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 12
Tuesday 14 June, Malaysian Industry Government Group for Higher Technology ............ 14
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 14
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 14
Wednesday 15 June, Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) ................ 16
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 16
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 16
Wednesday 15 June, TalentCorp ........................................................................................ 17
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 17
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 17
Wednesday 15 June, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) ............................ 18
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 18
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 18
Context: Vietnam ..................................................................................................................... 19
Domestic Political Context ................................................................................................... 19
Higher Education Sector ...................................................................................................... 19
Collaboration with the UK .................................................................................................... 19
Meeting notes: Vietnam ........................................................................................................... 20
Thursday 16 June – Friday 17 June, Global Education Dialogue ....................................... 20
Lead/s .............................................................................................................................. 20
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 20
Networking participants: Vietnam ............................................................................................ 22
Further information .................................................................................................................. 25
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Introduction From 13 – 17 June a delegation of 11 representatives of the sector and the British Council visited Malaysia and Vietnam. In both counties they met with Government ministries, UK representatives and institutions. Throughout the delegation there was an emphasis upon employability and innovation. In Malaysia the particular objective of the group was to understand the current stage of implementation of the Higher Education Blueprint, and identify any resulting opportunities for collaboration. In Vietnam the core activity was participation in a Global Education Dialogue focused upon employability and university-business interaction. Within this context, the delegation sought to gain a better understanding of the ambitions and opportunities for international collaboration in both countries.
The delegation was organised by the UK Higher Education International Unit (IU) with funding support from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and organisational support from the British High Commission in Malaysia and British Council Vietnam.
In Malaysia the delegation was centred upon Kuala Lumpur with meetings in the surrounding Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. The Global Education Dialogue took place in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
This visit report provides a summary of meetings throughout the delegation and an indication of future IU activity in the region.
Comments or queries resulting from this visit report, or enquiries regarding future delegations are invited via the contact details provided below.
Joseph Taylor
Policy Manager, Asia
020 7419 5627
General enquiries
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UK delegates University Representative Representative Title
Aston University Professor Helen Griffiths Pro-Vice-Chancellor – International Relations
Keele University Dr Mark Bacon Director of Engagement & Partnerships
Newcastle University Professor Werner Hofer Dean of Research
The Open University Steve Hill External Engagement Director
University of Hertfordshire
Professor John Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor – Research & Enterprise
University of London International Programmes
Mike Winter Director of Global Engagement
University of Sheffield Jo Purves Vice-President Sheffield International
University of Swansea Professor Iwan Davies Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor
British Council Caroline Chipperfield Senior Policy Adviser
International Unit Vivienne Stern Director
International Unit Joseph Taylor Policy Manager, Asia
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Context: Malaysia
Domestic political context
The domestic political situation in Malaysia has undergone a period of recent turbulence. Most notably, in 2015, coinciding with then UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the region, Muhyiddin Yassin Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education for Malaysia left Government. Following this, the Ministry of Higher Education was re-established as a separate Ministry rather than as a department under the Ministry of Education. A reshuffle in in June 2016 has been characterised as a consolidation of the Prime Minister Najib’s position.
Higher education sector
The Malaysian higher education sector is composed of traditional publicly funded institutions and a growing number of private institutions which includes UK and Australian university branch campuses.
The Government has placed considerable emphasis upon the higher education sector as a means to improve Malaysia’s human capacity and productivity. The Higher Education Blueprint, released in 2015, illustrates this emphasis, setting out the Government’s ambitions for the Malaysian higher education sector for 2025. These include improved performance in international rankings and expanded research capacity. The activities set out within the Blueprint are focused upon the public universities, though there are broader national objectives that have bearing across the whole sector. For example, there is an ambition to be an international hub for higher education which draws upon the presence of international providers such as the private UK branch campuses.
Collaboration with the UK Strong collaborative links exist between the UK and Malaysia through the sector in the form of joint research, exchange and course provision. As has been noted there are a number of UK branch campuses in Malaysia, and indeed a Malaysian branch campus in the UK. In large part, this collaboration is a reflection of the historical relationship between the two countries, one aspect of which is a continued high regard for UK higher education. This is manifest in the number of UK alumni occupying senior positions in academia, the civil service and politics. Malaysian students make up a considerable proportion of international students in the UK, and on a per capita basis the country is the largest single source of recruitment to the UK. Government scholarships contribute significantly to this mobility.
Particular activities between the UK and Malaysia include the Newton-Ungku Omar Fund. The Fund has a 2016/17 allocation of £4 million per annum of match funded investment. The main in-country funders for the Newton Fund are the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), Ministry of Education (MoE). Malaysia’s priority areas for funding are health and life sciences, environmental resilience and energy security, future cities, agriculture and digital innovation and creativity. The fund has been well received in Malaysia with a reception in the UK in May 2016 to mark its success coinciding with the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council meeting, which took place in the UK for the first time.
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Networking participants: Malaysia The following representatives of Malaysian universities sought to participate in the networking session held at AKEPT (Higher Education Leadership Academy).
Institution Representative Further Information
Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) / International Islamic University of Malaysia
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Torla Hj Hassan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & Planning
http://www.iium.edu.my/ YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ridza bin Wahiddin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Riza Atiq Abdullah bin O.K. Rahmat, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.ukm.my/portal/
YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mazlin bin Mokhtar, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaya
Prof. Dr. Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
http://www.um.edu.my/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Noorsaadah Abd Rahman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Hassan bin Mohd Osman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.umk.edu.my/index.php/en/
YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ibrahim Bin Che Omar, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaysia Pahang
YBhg. YH. Prof. Dato' Dr. Rosli Bin Mohd Yunus, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
http://www.ump.edu.my/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mashitah binti Mohd Yusoff, Deputy Vice-
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Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaysia Perlis
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hamid bin Adom, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
http://www.unimap.edu.my/index.php/my/
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
YBhg. Prof. Dr. D. Kamarudin D. Mudin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.ums.edu.my/v5/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Shahril bin Yusof, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.unimas.my/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Kopli bin Bujang, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Prof. Dr. Mohd Lokman Bin Husain, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International https://www.umt.edu.my/
Bhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Effendy bin Abd. Wahid, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Sahandri Gani bin Hamzah Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.upsi.edu.my/
YBhg. Dato’ Prof. Dr. Hajah Noraini binti Idris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Tengku, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International Mohd Bin Tengku Sembok http://www.upnm.edu.my/
Kol Prof. Ir. Dr. Norazman Bin Mohamad Nor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Putra
YBhg. Prof. Datuk Dr. Mad Nasir bin
http://www.upm.edu.my/about_us
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Malaysia (UPM)
Shamsudin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi bin Mohd Lila, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Zulkiple Abd Ghani, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.usim.edu.my/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mustafa bin Mohd Hanefah, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International https://www.usm.my/index.php/ms/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Muhamad bin Jantan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mahadzirah binti Mohamad, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
https://www.unisza.edu.my/index.php?lang=en
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Razali Bin Muhamad, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.utem.edu.my/portal/
YBhg. Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd Jailani bin Mohd Nor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Rose Alinda Binti Alias, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International http://www.utm.my/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Bin Ismail, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
YBhg. Prof. Sr. Ir. Dr. Hj. Suhaimi bin Abdul Talib, Deputy Vice-
http://www.uitm.edu.my/index.php/en/
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Universiti Teknologi MARA
Chancellor, Academic & International
YBhg. Prof. Ir. Dr. Hj. Abdul Rahman bin Omar, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Hashim bin Saim, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
http://www.uthm.edu.my/v2/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Wahid bin Razzaly, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Hassan bin Ali, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic & International
http://uum.edu.my/index.php/en/
YBhg. Prof. Dr. Noor Azizi Bin Ismail, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation
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Tuesday 14 June, Briefing session at the British High Commission1
Lead/s
Paul Rennie, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission Kuala Lumpur
Tony Collingridge, Director of Trade & Investment, British High Commission Kuala Lumpur
Summary
Deputy High Commissioner Paul Rennie welcomed the delegation to Malaysia and briefed the group upon the GREAT Year of Education in Malaysia that was announced in 2015 by the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP during the UK Government delegation to Southeast Asia. The Deputy High Commissioner identified the following key elements of the GREAT campaign: a branding and marketing toolkit, the development of a UK Malaysian alumni database, advertising and promotion, bespoke events, co-operation with the Malaysian Government in wider education promotion, supporting existing UK promotional activity, and assisting trade missions to boost the development of the sector.
Mr Rennie then went on to highlight a number of key statistics from 2015/16 that demonstrated the strength of the education relationship between Malaysia and the UK. These included £145 million of ‘business wins’ across all education sectors, 78,565 transnational education students, 17,631 Malaysian students at UK universities, and over 300 university partnerships.
Drawing upon the Higher Education Blueprint the following areas for collaboration were presented:
• Co-curricular development to increase quality of courses for 21st century skills e.g. entrepreneurialism, communication skills, IT
• Partnerships with Malaysian universities to increase the capacity and capability of staff who will teach curriculum and use teaching methodology that encourages graduate enterprise and involvement industry secondments and the development of business incubators
• Franchising or dual accreditation of degree programmes
• Supporting the increase in the number of PhD students
• Continuing professional development for university teachers and leaders
• Creating a quality assurance framework to support improvements in the delivery of private university programmes
• Partnerships and collaborations in distance and blended learning
• R&D collaborations – 2016 grant allocated RM470 million (industry driven & demand driven)
Tony Collingridge, Director of Trade & Investment followed the Deputy High Commissioner’s presentation by setting out the broader economic context. The Malaysia Government has identified twelve National Key Economic Areas that it believes shall be fundamental to its ambition to transcend middle-income status. These twelve areas are oil, gas & energy; palm oil & rubber; financial services; tourism; business services; electronics & electrical; wholesale & retail; education; healthcare; communications content & infrastructure; agriculture; and the greater Kuala Lumpur & Klang Valley. Mr Collingridge noted that of these the Malaysian Government sees collaboration with the UK as particularly vital in education.
The High Commission sought greater engagement from the UK sector in its series of proposed events for the GREAT Year. The IU shall identify and share opportunities. One immediate opportunity discussed is another series of GREAT education events in Kuala Lumpur in November.
1 Presentation available upon request
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Tuesday 14 June, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
Lead/s
Professor Robert Craik, Provost & CEO, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
Summary
Professor Craik provided the group with an outline of Heriot-Watt’s experience in developing a branch campus in Malaysia, and some of the impacts of opening a new campus upon the institution’s Edinburgh base.
The Heriot-Watt Campus opened to students in September 2014 with an official launch in February 2015. The university is located in Putrajaya, the newly developed administrative capital of Malaysia. The immediate environment includes a lake and recreational facilities. The university itself is set to expand further within its current location, having seen an increase in students in each year of its operation. The university, as with other branch campuses, is a private company.
The Malaysian campus has had increasing success in attracting students at Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh to study for a portion of their degree. This mobility is relatively straightforward due to shared course design and Scottish student funding conditions. Conversely, due to differing funding arrangements, English universities with branch campuses face challenges in the use of domestic student loans for a period of international study; work is currently underway to try to overcome this. In Heriot-Watt’s experience, inbound student mobility has had a positive impact upon both sets of students and helped in the creation of an international environment. Additionally, the Ministry of Higher Education has welcomed this as it supports the Government’s internationalisation objective.
Professor Craik noted that the Malaysia campus remains predominantly focused upon teaching rather than research. This is in part a consequence of its youth as an institution. There is an ambition to conduct a greater amount of research there in future. However, there is limited domestic funding available for research, particularly for private institutions.
The Malaysian Qualifications Agency, a body under the Ministry of Higher Education, accredits courses taught at the Malaysian campus.
Finally, Professor Craik noted that the key lesson that he had learnt in the development of the Malaysian campus was the role that it could play as an agent of change, through re-examining existing university-wide policies and processes and identifying how these might be improved.
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Tuesday 14 June, Ministry of Higher Education
Lead/s
The Honourable Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini bin Ujang, Secretary General, Ministry of Higher Education
Dato’ Professor Dr. Asma Ismail, Director General, Ministry of Higher Education
Paul Rennie, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission Kuala Lumpur
Summary
The following items were discussed during the meeting:
Bureaucratic location: From 2004 to 2013, the Ministry of Higher Education was a separate ministry, before being merged with the Ministry of Education. In 2015 this merger was reversed.
Co-authorship: The Ministry of Higher Education is keen that Government sponsored academics pursuing research degrees overseas are able to list their home institution in addition to the institution where the research is undertaken. This reflects the practice in Malaysia of recruiting academics early in their career and then sponsoring them to study overseas for their PhD before returning to the domestic system.
Higher Education Blueprint: The Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint sets out the policy framework for tertiary sector reform in Malaysia. This reform concentrates upon public institutions who comprise approximately 20% of the sector. The Ministry has formal oversight over these institutions. The objectives set out in the Blueprint are grouped into ten ‘shifts’. Further information is available upon the Ministry of Higher Education website2. These ten shifts can be loosely grouped into three key themes: higher education system reform, closer collaboration with industry, and the use of new methods of delivery. Within these three themes, the following points were noted:
o Closer collaboration with industry: Building in years in industry: The Government are encouraging the
development of university degrees with one or two integrated years in industry, as part of their emphasis on experiential learning.
Capturing existing skills and knowledge: There are a number of Malaysian citizens in the workforce possessing professional skills and knowledge but without formal qualifications. The Government is keen to introduce mechanisms to formally recognise this prior learning.
CEO faculty programme: Approximately 30 industry leaders are now teaching in universities as part of short courses designed to encourage and empower students.
Public Private Research Network: The Public Private Research Network is a Prime Ministerial initiative led from within the Ministry of Higher Education. It is focused upon ‘demand drive innovation’. The concept is that there is central portal administered by the Ministry of Higher Education, through which companies can publish details of a particular issue or research demand that can then be taken on by an interested group, typically composed at least in part of academics.
Technical vocational education and training: The development of training and vocational education provision in Malaysia is a major component of the higher education reform in Malaysia. There is not a tradition of company apprenticeships and so growth of formal TVET provision is required to meet the Government’s objectives. The Government is interested in the potential for a branch campus model for TVET provision.
Integrating training into infrastructure projects: The ongoing £1.7 billion light rail transit line project involves in excess of 90 companies. In order to promote the Government’s objectives in TVET, some of those companies
2http://www.moe.gov.my/cms/upload_files/files/3_%20Malaysia%20Education%20Blueprint%202015-2025%20(Higher%20Education).pdf
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have been required to provide apprenticeships as a condition of being awarded the contract.
o Higher education system reform: Financial sustainability: Public universities in Malaysia are directly
dependent upon the Ministry for support. In order to ensure these institutions’ long-term financial sustainability models of funding are being explored.
Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average: The Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average is intended to measure and reward student’s non-academic performance. The areas that shall be measured include skill such as communication and critical thinking as well as notions of ethics and morality.
Malaysia Research Assessment Instrument: The Malaysia Research Assessment Instrument (MyRA) is designed to measure the research performance of Malaysian universities. The metric has built in elements relating to innovation activities and work with industry to emphasise the increasing importance placed upon universities exploring the commercial potential of their research and exposing students to industry.
Regional competition and global prominence: Within the region, Singaporean universities currently dominate the international rankings. The Malaysian Government is dedicating resource to a limited number of public universities in order to try and improve their global prominence.
o New methods of delivery: Massive open online courses (MOOCs): The Government is
encouraging the development of domestic MOOCs and is also keen to explore how online learning can be integrated into mainstream university programmes. The suggestion is that up to 30% of course content could be provided through MOOCs with the remaining 70% provided through traditional delivery.
Mobile technology: Malaysia has the highest per capita use of mobile phones. Mobile use is heaviest amongst under 25 year olds, who account for at least 40 percent of the population. Consequently, the Ministry is promoting online learning, via mobile phones, as a means to provide education at scale across the country to a broad range of society.
Inbound mobility: The Government is keen to encourage greater inbound mobility of international students. In addition to full degree study there is an ambition to increase the number of international students studying in Malaysia for a period of their degree, including through participation in Malaysian university summer school programmes.
Malaysia as a Gateway to the Region: The ongoing regional social and economic integration of the ASEAN countries was noted. Malaysia’s ambition, as a country at the upper end of development in the region is to establish itself as a regional hub for higher education. Additionally, it sees a role for the country to act as a bridge between universities in the UK, US, Australia, Canada etc. and institutions in other countries in the region such as Cambodia that are at an earlier stage in their development and so is keen to encourage trilateral collaboration.
In conclusion the Secretary General noted that the higher education relationship with the UK remains central. In future the ambition is to move the relationship from one based upon student mobility to one focused upon research collaboration. To support this, the Malaysian Government are keen to explore partnerships between institutions that include four month exchanges of staff and students.
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Tuesday 14 June, Malaysian Industry Government Group for Higher Technology3
Lead/s
Dr Raslan Ahmad, Senior Vice-President, MIGHT (Head of MIGHT International)
Tengku Saifullizan Rahim, Senior Manager, MIGHT
Summary
The following items were discussed during the meeting:
Global Science & Innovation Advisory Council (GSAIC): The last meeting of the GSAIC was held in May 2016 in London. The meeting group is chaired by the Prime Minister, The Honourable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak. The group is composed of Malaysian and international experts from academia and industry. Its purpose is to:
o Provide strategic advice and act as a sounding board on Malaysia’s aspirations of being a developed nation by 2020, through science and innovation
o Benchmark Malaysia’s ranking and competitiveness in Science and Innovation against technologically advanced countries, and improve Malaysia’s capabilities in science and innovation
o Add value to the achievement of Malaysia’s economic transformation programme objectives
o Intensify capacity building through industry-academic collaboration with world experts and globally renowned organisations
o Generate and increase bilateral trade and investment value in the short, medium, and long-term.
At this year’s meeting the Malaysian Government was tasked to take forward and implement a National Competitiveness Council and STEM strategy.
Newton-Ungku Omar Fund (NUOF): Highlights of the first two years of the Newton-Ungku Omar Fund include:
o Highest average response received in global calls o 150 collaborations initiated, including
Over 40 industry participants 50 research institutions Over 250 researchers and scientists
Science to Action (S2A): S2A is a national programme that groups together various initiatives designed to achieve progress in the domestic development of science and technology in order to create an economy suited for 2020 and beyond. The Newton Ungku Omar Fund falls within this scope of activity.
International collaboration programmes: Beyond Newton, MiGHT run or are engaged with a number of programmes that invite international participation. These include incorporated companies designed to fund new, or commercialise existing research, in targeted sectors:
o MIGHT METEOR Advanced Manufacturing Sendirian Berhad: A joint venture between MIGHT and METEOR, a consortium of public universities. It also has a number of large industry partners. The organisation is principally focused upon capacity-building, but also has some investment function through accelerator programmes such as the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme, jointly developed with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.
o Nano Malaysia Berhad: Incorporated in 2011, Nano Malaysia Berhad was established to help realise Malaysia’s ambitions in nanotechnology. It exists to commercialise existing research into nanotechnology, invest in further activity, and improve Malaysia’s capacity in this field.
3 Presentation available upon request
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In sum, Dr Raslan invited international participation in MIGHT’s current work and noted that the organisation is receptive to new proposals for research and joint programmes. MIGHT would also like to encourage international participation in its ongoing events programme4.
Ms. Ida Semurni Abdullah Ali, Programme Director at MIGHT International was put forward as a central contact at Might International to coordinate proposals and expression of interest to participation in new or existing activity ([email protected]).
4 http://www.might.org.my/media-2/events/
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Wednesday 15 June, Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU)5
Lead/s
Tengku Azian Shahriman, Director Education and SRI Human Capital Development, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU)
Summary
The meeting began with an overview of PEMANDU’s role. PEMANDU, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, was established in September 2009 to oversee implementation and assess progress of the Economic Transformation Programme and the Government Transformation Programme as well as supporting the delivery of the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs), Ministerial Key Results Areas (MKRAs).
The following items were discussed during the meeting:
Economic Transformation Programme: The economic transformation programme provides the overarching policy direction for Malaysian economic policy up until 2020. In sum the ambition is to create a new economic model for the country that is high income, sustainable and inclusive. The ambition to become high-income is quantified as US $15,000 GNI per capita by 2020. This ambition and the supporting National Key Economic Areas are as referenced in the briefing from Tony Collingridge at the British High Commission on page 11-12.
o Performance against GNI objective: The economy has grown steadily since 2009, though 2015 was a difficult year for economic growth and Government income due to the falling value of the ringgit and the marked decline in the value of oil. This economic growth has translated into a steady rise in the per capita national income such that it stood at $11,120 in 2014. On current trends economic growth will fall a little short of the $15,000 target though has still delivered considerable growth.
o Decreasing dependency upon oil revenue: The Malaysian economy is heavily dependent upon oil revenue, with the proportion of Government income from oil an even greater percentage than of the total economy. Though the impact of falling oil prices was still severe, the introduction of a 6% sales tax has allowed the Government to reduce its dependence upon oil revenue.
o National Key Economic Areas: From 2011 – 2015 the percentage of the Gross National Income that has come from the key economic area sectors has remained steady at approximately 75%, but increased in real terms.
o International Indicators: Malaysia has achieved steady improvement in the following international regulatory indicators:
IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook: 14/15 (2015) World Bank Ease of Doing Business: 18/189 (2015) World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report: 18/140
University innovation initiatives: There are currently 200,000 unemployed graduates. For some this is a conscious decision to take a break post-study (a relatively common practice), but for many this is the result of not being able to find a job. A number of entrepreneurship schemes have been developed to encourage the creation of new industry and companies:
o MaGIC: MaGIC is a Government initiative that provides training and early stage support to entrepreneurs seeking to develop business ideas.
5 Presentation available upon request
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Wednesday 15 June, TalentCorp6
Lead/s
Siti Norliza Mohd Sahar, Head, Malaysian Talent Development – Graduate
Employability, TalentCorp
Shamili Vellapandian, Head, Global Malaysian Talent Facilitation, TalentCorp
Summary
TalentCorp was established by the Government in 2011 under the Prime Minister’s Department. The organisation exists as a central point within the Government to identify and analyse issues related to skills’ shortages, encourage collaboration with industry, create public-private partnerships focused upon addressing skills gaps and implement initiatives to address gaps in critical skills. During the meeting the following initiatives were highlighted – further information about all of these initiatives is available on the TalentCorp website7:
Graduate employability: Graduate employability is a core strand of activity for TalentCorp. Their work is composed of a number of initiatives which includes the following initiatives:
o Graduate Career Fair: TalentCorp run annual careers fairs for Malaysian students studying in the UK, there are opportunities for universities to cooperate with them upon their delivery in order to augment involvement. Within Malaysia they run graduate careers fairs that are thematically linked to the national key economic areas. The fairs provide graduates with an opportunity to hear from business leaders and meet with HR representatives.
o Graduate Employability Management Scheme (GEMS): GEMS is a centrally administered internship scheme for unemployed graduates. The scheme focuses on the following sectors: electronics, ICT, telecommunications, global business services.
o Structured internship Programme: This initiative is focused upon providing internships for students that are still studying at universities.
o Ind-E-Zone: They provide general career advice as well as more specific information about particular sectors and companies, including talks from relevant figures from business. Ind-E-Zones exist at a small number of universities, but are accessible to students not studying at those universities and provide some online material.
o My ASEAN Internship: The ‘My ASEAN Internship’ scheme provides a range of internships to those studying in Malaysia, including non-Malaysian students. To work for a multinational company operating across the region.
o Talent Trail: Talent Trail is a half-day event for Malaysian students that is designed to grow confidence and begin to raise awareness of the skills required in professional life.
Engaging with Malaysian professionals: TalentCorp also has responsibility for initiatives that are designed to maximise the number of qualified people in the domestic workforce.
o Women in the Workforce: TalentCorp are working with employers to encourage the adoption of flexible working arrangements to encourage women to return to work following maternity leave.
o Engaging Malaysians Abroad: In addition to the careers fairs for overseas students, TalentCorp implements a programme for ‘returning experts’ that incentivises experienced Malaysian professionals working overseas to return. Incentives include tax breaks and other tangible benefits.
6 Presentation available upon request 7 http://www.talentcorp.com.my/our-work/initiatives/graduate-employability-management-scheme-gems
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Wednesday 15 June, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT)
Lead/s
Professor Dr Mohamad Kamal Hj Harun, Director, AKEPT
Summary
AKEPT is the Malaysian Higher Education Leadership Academy. It is a publicly-funded organisation that runs training programmes for current and prospective leaders of Malaysian universities. The organisation works principally with the public universities, but its membership includes a growing number of private universities. The organisation also plays a role in identifying prospective leaders of universities, and shortlisting for vacancies at senior positions.
The focus of this event was the networking session. Details of the participants are contained on pages 6-10.
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Context: Vietnam
Domestic Political Context
Vietnam, a one party communist country, held five-yearly elections in May 2016 for the 500
seat National Assembly. There were 870 nominees, with 11 of those being self-nominated
candidates. The results were announced in June 2016, with 496 candidates receiving enough
votes to take up a seat in the assembly. Two of the self-nominated candidates were successful,
with the vast majority of the seats (475) going to candidates affiliated with the Communist Party
of Vietnam, including incumbent Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. In July the National
Assembly re-elected incumbent President Tran Dai Quang.
Higher Education Sector
The Vietnamese higher education sector is composed of publicly-funded universities and
private institutions. There is some international university presence through collaborations such
as the Aston – Da Nang VN-UK initiative, the Vietnam Japan University, Vietnamese-German
University. Additionally, it was recently announced that a US-backed Fulbright University would
open in Vietnam.
The Government has set a number of objectives for higher education reform to be achieved by
2020. The reforms are concentrated upon increasing and improving the domestic capacity of
higher education in Vietnam. To achieve this the Government has moved to increase the
autonomy of higher education institutions, suggests a reform in the corresponding ministerial
structure and calls for the development of the quality assurance and accreditation system.
Additionally, the reform calls for increases in internationalisation and greater focus upon
research and financial reform.
Collaboration with the UK
Collaborative links exist between the UK and Vietnam though; these are less developed than those with Malaysia. There is a range of UK transnational education provision being offered in the country, with the aforementioned VN-UK initiative as a physical presence in-country. There is an awareness of UK higher education, though at a national level links remain stronger with countries such as the US and Australia. The Government, through the Vietnam International Economic Development (VIED) organisation under the Ministry of Education of Training, is seeking to increase engagement with the UK and has recently increased the number of scholarships that can be used for PhD students to study in the UK.
The Newton Fund Vietnam is delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), National Foundation for Science & Technology Development (NAFOSTED), and the Vietnam International Education Development (VIED) organisation under the Minister of Education & Training (MOET). The priority areas for the fund are similar to those of other countries in the region. They include health and life sciences, environmental resilience and energy security, future cities, agriculture and digital innovation & creativity.
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Meeting notes: Vietnam
Thursday 16 June – Friday 17 June, Global Education Dialogue8
Lead/s
Professor Dr Bui Van Ga, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam
Cherry Gough, Director, British Council Vietnam
Giles Lever, HM Ambassador to Vietnam
A/Professor Pham Quang Hung, Director General, VIED
Dr Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training
Summary
The Global Education Dialogue focused upon employability and innovation. There were a number of presentations from Government, academia and industry. Included below is a summary of key points from the presentation upon collaboration with the UK by Associate Professor Pham Quang Hung, and the meeting with the International Unit and British Council that followed. Details of the Vietnamese universities that participated in the networking session are included on pages 23 – 25.
Government scholarship schemes: The main schemes for international study are Project 599 and Project 911. Both schemes are open to applications from a broad range of subject areas including arts & humanities as well as the sciences. As a standard the programmes cover a return air ticket, health insurance, tuition fees up to $15,000 per year and a living allowance of $14,400 per year. There is some concern within the VIED as to whether this is sufficient to cover costs, especially as it is often necessary to run preparatory English language training for participants. To date 24 UK institutions have signed partnerships with VIED. The VIED is keen to increase the number of UK universities engaged and invited further expressions of interest.
o Project 599: This scholarship scheme runs until 2020 and funds study at undergraduate and masters level. It also supports Masters sandwich schemes. It offers over 2,000 places in total.
o Project 911: This scholarship intends to fund 10,000 overseas PhDs and 3,000 sandwich places (during PhD). There are some additional 911-Netwon scholarships that are offered. VIED are keen to encourage more placement periods in the UK.
Joint Training Programmes: There are currently 310 joint training programmes (collaborative provision) in operation. The majority of these are being delivered in Hanoi, and are in Economic, Business & Management courses. The UK is currently the third largest international partner (in terms of numbers of courses delivered), behind France and the US. In terms of level, historically, the majority of graduates are at Masters level, though currently the majority of students are studying at undergraduate level. The relevant regulations for joint training programmes are included below:
Decree No.73/2012/ND-CP: Released on 26/09/2012 it focuses upon international cooperation and investment in education.
Circular No.34/2014/TT-BGDDT: Upon the implementation of the above.
Joint circular No. 29/2014/TTLT-BGDDT-BTC-BLDTBXH Released on 26/08/2014 upon the financial regulations.
Decree No. 77/NQ-CP: Released on 24/10/2014 upon chances in the operation of public higher education agencies.
o Joint Training Programmes with UK institutions: There are 71 joint training programmes with UK institutions, 60 of which are currently active. 46 of these are delivered wholly in Vietnam, whilst 25 are delivered partially in the UK and
8 Presentation available upon request
21
partially in Vietnam. 54 of these programmes are in Business and Management.
Student Mobility: There are currently about 130,000 outwardly mobile Vietnamese students. The UK is currently the seventh most popular destination, following Australia, the US, China, Japan, Singapore and France respectively. The Government is keen to increase the number of inbound international students for full and short periods of study. In 2015, there were over 20,000 inbound students, the majority of these students are from other countries within the ASEAN region. Universities have developed a number of summer schools and short programmes to encourage short-term mobilities. These universities and the VIED are keen to encourage greater involvement from international students including those based in the UK.
November Conference: VIED shall be hosting an international university conference in Vietnam in November 2016. UK participation is invited in this.
22
Networking participants: Vietnam The following representatives of Vietnamese universities sought to participate in the networking session held at the Global Education Dialogue.
Institution Representative Further Information
An Giang University
Le Minh Tuan Lam, Deputy Head of Research Management & International Relations Office http://www.agu.edu.vn/
Ba Ria-Vung Tau University
Nguyen Minh Trung, Vice-Deputy of Department of Academic Training http://bvu.edu.vn/
Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute
Dang Minh Tam Researcher - Deputy head of Genetic and Plant Breeding http://www.clrri.org/ver2/
Duy Tan University
Nguyen Chien Thang Head of Department of Students' Research Administration
http://duytan.edu.vn/default.aspx?lang=EN
Hanoi University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University
Pham Bao Son, Vice-President http://e.uet.vnu.edu.vn/
HCMC Open University
Nguyen B. Thanh-Nghi Department Chair
http://www.ou.edu.vn/english/Pages/default.aspx
HCMC University of Architecture
Vu Viet Anh Head of Postgraduate Training and International Relations Department http://en.uah.edu.vn/
HCMC University of Education
Nguyen Thi Tu, Head of International Cooperation Office http://www.hcmup.edu.vn/
HCMC University of Technology (HCMUT) - Vietnam National University HCMC Pham Trung Kien, Lecturer http://www.hcmut.edu.vn/en/
HCMC University of Technology and Education
Nguyen Thien Bao Lecturer, R&D Head http://en.hcmute.edu.vn/
HCMC University of Transport
Nguyen Thuy Hong Van, Director of International Relations http://en.utc.edu.vn/?q=node/25
Hoa Sen University
Nguyen Thanh Nga, Head of Q.A. Unit http://hoasen.edu.vn/
Human Resource Development Center - Vietnam National University Trinh Ngoc Huy, Director Not available
HUTECH University Bui Xuan Lam, Vice President http://www.hutech.edu.vn/
23
Industrial University of HCMC
Pham Tan Viet, Head of Biotechnology Department, Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology http://iuh.edu.vn/
Institute for Educational Research, HCMC University of Education
Pham Thi Lan Phuong, Director, Center for Higher Education Research http://www.ier.edu.vn/en/
International Education Institute - Vietnam National University HCMC
Tran Thi Ngoc Tran, Deputy Executive Director http://www.iei.edu.vn/en/
International University - Vietnam National University HCMC Ho Nhut Quang, Vice Rector
http://www.hcmiu.edu.vn/language/en-US/Dai-hoc-Quoc-te-International-University
Nam Can Tho University
Dao Huy Huan, Vice-President https://www.ctu.edu.vn/en/
National Economic University
Nguyen Huu Anh, Deputy Dean of Accounting and Auditing School http://en.neu.edu.vn/
Nguyen Trai University
Nguyen Minh Giang, Dean of Business Faculty http://www.ntu.vn/en/
Nong Lam University Le Cong Tru, Director http://en.hcmuaf.edu.vn/
Petrovietnam University Hoang Hung, Vice Rector http://www.pvu.edu.vn/
Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology
Le Quang Phu Director, Dept. of Academic, Science and Technology http://ptit.edu.vn/wps/portal/english
Tra Vinh University
Nguyen Thi Mai Khanh, Director of International Collaboration Department http://en.tvu.edu.vn/
University of Economics & Finance
Kieu Xuan Hung, Chairman of the Board http://www.uef.edu.vn/en
University of Finance and Accountancy
Tran Thi Bich Thuy, Head of English Department Not available
Vinh University
Dinh Phan Khoi, Director, Department of Research and International Affairs http://eng.vinhuni.edu.vn/
Vietnam National University Hanoi
Nguyen Thi Anh Thu Director, Cooperation and Development Department https://vnu.edu.vn/eng/
Vinh University of Technology Education
Le Khac Binh, Head of Science Management and International Collaboration Department http://vuted.edu.vn/
24
VINACADEMY
Nguyen Hong Ha, Manager, Vingroup’s International University Project Not available
25
Further information Where noted presentations from the different meetings are available on request from the International Unit.
Queries concerning the delegation or requests for contacts at the Malaysian & Vietnamese universities mentioned above should be directed to Joseph Taylor, Policy Manager – Asia at the UK Higher Education International Unit.
Joseph Taylor
Policy Manager – Asia
+44 (0)20 7419 5627