By Shakir Husain
HYDERABAD, June 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysian universities are set to promote their academic programmes in Tunisia and Algeria as they tap into North Africa's strong demand for international degrees.
They will be interacting with students and parents during the "Study in Malaysia Education Fair" being held from July 17 to 25 in Sousse and Tunis in Tunisia, and Oran and Algiers in Algeria.
Organised by Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), an agency under the Higher Education Ministry responsible for marketing Malaysia as a student destination, the event will showcase Malaysia's advantages of easy accessibility, top-class infrastructure, lower cost of education, multicultural Asian landscape, and shared Islamic values.
"Malaysian universities are aware that the decision to pursue tertiary education abroad involves significant family investment in the Maghreb region. They will explain why Malaysia should be a preferred destination," Malaysia Ambassador to Algeria Rizany Irwan Muhamad Mazlan told Bernama.
"Interactions with Malaysian university representatives will reassure prospective North African students that they can expect a conducive education environment without cultural apprehensions and safety worries," he said.
Universiti Malaya (UM), Asia Pacific University (APU), UCSI University, University of Cyberjaya (UoC), Xiamen University Malaysia, Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), Multimedia University (MMU), Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Brittania Language Centre are taking part in the North Africa roadshows.
While the outbound student market in Algeria and Tunisia was earlier largely oriented towards Francophone destinations, Malaysia's education promotion taps into the region's growing demand for English medium higher education for better integration in the global job market.
"We have seen surging demand for high-value degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), information technology, and business studies," the Malaysian ambassador said.
With high visa rejection rates and escalating cost of living in Europe, middle-class Algerian and Tunisian families are looking for destinations that offer quality education without bureaucratic and financial hurdles.
"This paradigm shift occurring in North Africa should help Malaysia universities in increasing their student intake from the region," Rizany said.
-- BERNAMA
