Congratulations: Mohamed Khaled (centre) officiating the soft launch. Looking on are (from left) Prof Siti Hamisah, UCSI Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Peter Ng, UCSI University pro-chancellor Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin, Insight Institute of Learning managing director Ariful Bari Majunder, UCSI University Bangladesh Campus pro-vice chancellor designate Chan Joe Jim, and Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia first secretary (Foreign Affairs) Rehana Parvin.
MALAYSIAN education providers should expand beyond the country’s borders.
Encouraging more private providers to consider opening international branch campuses abroad, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the Malaysian higher education brand was synonymous with quality and could impact international markets.
He was speaking at the soft launch of UCSI University’s first international branch campus in Bangladesh.
“UCSI University Bangladesh will boost Malaysia’s status as a global education hub and I commend UCSI for this post-Covid-19 initiative.
“I encourage more private providers to consider similar arrangements,” he said at the event held at UCSI’s Kuala Lumpur campus on Feb 3.
UCSI University Bangladesh will be based in the capital city of Dhaka and operations will commence in May this year. It is the first time UCSI is committing to a branch campus overseas, a press release from the varsity read.
Insight Institute of Learning is UCSI’s local partner in Bangladesh.
UCSI Group chief executive officer and UCSI University vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir said the new campus would initially focus on teaching and learning, before moving up the value chain.
“To optimise graduate outcomes and improve life chances, we will offer programmes that reflect the needs and economic trends outlined by our Bangladeshi partners.
“We will move on to prioritise research, executive education and cross-campus collaboration, in line with the organic growth of the new campus,” she said.
UCSI’s Bangladesh campus will commence at a 4,180.6-sq-m city campus with 24 degree and master’s programmes in the fields of business, computer science, engineering, architecture, social sciences and design.
The campus is projected to enrol around 5,000 students over seven years. Operations will move to a 1.2ha purpose-built site that houses over 18,580.6-sq-m of state-of-the-art learning space within this period.
UCSI presently operates three campuses in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Port Dickson.
