Monday March 5, 2007

PSD funds for top varsities

KEPALA BATAS: The Public Service Department will offer 1,800 scholarships this year, 300 more than before.

However, they will only be awarded to students who are accepted by renowned foreign universities.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the move was to produce high quality graduates.

Model display: Mustapa (centre) looking at some exhibits after launching the programme yesterday. With him are Universiti Teknologi Mara vicechancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah (left) and other professors.

“Tertiary education in Britain and the United States is very costly. We do not want to send our scholars to any overseas university randomly.

“It’s better if we only send them to renowned universities and in return, we produce high quality graduates,” he said after launching the ministry’s Meet the Public Education Programme at Dewan Milenium here yesterday.

“This move is in tandem with the goal of the Ninth Malaysia Plan to build human capital.”

Mustapa added that a few big companies now only sponsored students who had gained entry into renowned foreign universities.

On another matter, the minister said top students should shed the perception that they must only enrol in foreign universities.

He said top scorers should not view foreign universities as their first choice as the level of education at local ones was equally good.

“The ministry would like to encourage students with straight As to also study at local universities. It does not mean that if you score well, you must go overseas.

“It is not very good for the country if all our good students enrol in foreign universities,” Mustapa said.

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