WHAT are the government imperatives for educational change that have been exerted and will continue to be exerted on the internationalisation of education in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP)?
Imperatives can be both proactive and reactive. In the 12MP, internationalisation of education is a major playing field for Malaysia’s educational growth. In orchestrating proactive imperatives, the government must contextualise actions, with an understanding of the internationalisation of education, and not move without a map or a compass to steer their actions.
The government needs to be consciously aware of the quality conundrum that constantly must be addressed to ensure that the enterprise of internationalisation of education is attractive and sustainable. In order to engage proactively, the government must look into the future and see a fit into relevant global developments, to not only maintain but uplift its position as an international education hub.
International student enrolment in educational institutions is coupled with financial considerations and tangible takeaways. If international students (or parents) are unable to see a more concrete scaffolding structure for international education in Malaysia, they would be more attracted to another country for their education plans.
The scaffolding structure must remain innovative and collaborative through the predictive lens for educating international students of today and the future. Education these days has long-term goals that moulds life-long players. They must be equipped with the necessary skills to meet immediate needs and to attend to re-skilling awareness for the future.
Innovations in curricular directions should take on this macro picture, to devote its resources to develop skill potentialities aligned to international education.
Government measures in their reactive role can lay down clear policies for educational institutions to improve their existing infrastructure. For example, a digital environment or campus should be a priority.
Social mobility can be greatly facilitated through enhanced digitalisation, enabling students to develop their self-confidence and have up-to-date exposure to global search or research and networking. By extension, digitalisation is also linked to being reactive to the international lingua franca (the English language). The Malaysian language policies can be more open to the enhancement of learning the English language at the educational institution.
The government, in providing reactive drivers, can lead in affording clearer directions for educational institutions to put in place improvements for this purpose, thus facilitating the connection to global developments and the harvesting of mutual benefits from cross-country alliances.
Living in an isolated comfort zone is no longer the way to go. The government, in partnership with educational institutions, will have to work hand in hand in the implementation of the proactive and reactive imperatives for the growth of internationalisation of education.
The impact will actualise all three fronts of the 12MP. Concerted efforts in developing the internationalisation of education will impress merged visible outcomes, affecting directly and indirectly prosperity initiatives that encompass economic empowerment, environmental sustainability and social re-engineering.
Prof Dr Ain Nadzimah Abdullah and Prof Dr Chan Swee Heng are Senior Research Fellows at the School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University.
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