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NEW DELHI: Indian universities have been urged to open branches in Malaysia to attract local and foreign students.
In making the proposal, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the universities could second their academic staff to the centres in Malaysia. “They have the best educational experts and this could be put to better use as many Malaysians wanting to further their studies in India are put off by the high cost of education. “The fees for the degree courses would be more reasonable if there were branches in Malaysia,” he told reporters on the second day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Samy Vellu said Indian students currently studying in the campuses in India could also opt to study in Malaysian branches. He said Malaysian students could also be sent on attachment in the institutions in India.
He said the MIC-owned Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) had received a proposal for a tie-up with an Indian management institute to offer business administration courses in Sungai Petani. “The institute will set up its branch at the AIMST campus and provide the three-year degree course,” he said. Samy Vellu said there were already applications from 150 students from India to attend the course.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh said India had approved the policy framework for setting up the People of Indian Origin (PIO) university. He said the university for children of overseas Indians would be established in a public-private partnership with active participation of credible overseas Indian trusts or societies. “The university will have the autonomy and flexibility in the disciplines that it offers and in its academic governance. There have been a few proposals and a final decision is expected soon,” he said in his opening speech at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Tuesday. He said the work on the university was expected to commence this year.
