Prof. Dr. Helmut Lueckenhausen

Private/International Education in
Sarawak
Prof. Dr. Helmut Lueckenhausen
PVC & CE

The Foreign Branch Campus
> The ‘home University’ – Swinburne University of
Technology, Melbourne, Australia
> A public university – in Malaysian terms: Institut Pengajin
Tinggi Awam (IPTA)
> Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, a
partnership between Swinburne Melbourne and the state
government of Sarawak (GLC)
However - Included in Malaysia under the list of Institut
Pengajin Tinggi Swasta (IPTS)
> Therefore: I speak from a ‘hybrid’, not a classic IPTS
position

Primary task of the FBC in Sarawak
• Affordability -
• Accessibility -
in comparison to studying overseas
domestic location for Malaysian students
• Possibility - availability of visas for international students
• Manageability -
• Employability -
cultural, political, religious, safety
internationally recognized, quality tertiary
education

The second-stage task of the FBC in Sarawak
After the deployment of undergraduate, postgraduate and research
programs from the home campus into the host environment – what
further ‘unique’ programs, projects and services can result from this
international meld
SUTS is identifying, designing and preparing to deploy research,
T&L programs, and processes, that bring international expertise to
bear on the specific HR needs of Sarawak and the region

International English
Malaysian national policy builds social cohesion through the promotion of
the national language – however: English is an international passport
Swinburne operates in English – it contributes to the bridging between
Bahasa Malaysia and other indigenous languages, Malaysian English,
and international English
Previous PM, Dr. Mahathir:
“the Chinese graduates choose the right subjects so they are employable. We find that the Malay
graduates, especially those from the Malay stream, can’t speak English at all. No matter how much
value you put on a certificate, the fact remains that an employer wants somebody with whom he can
communicate. The employer is not Malay, he is a foreigner - and if he’s not going to be able to
communicate with you, he will not take you.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Securing income versus service delivery
A private university dependent on student fees for its operating income
may find its capacity to deliver social service severely hampered –
service that is inevitably required by those with the least capacity to
pay
SUTS is developing its international, and those domestic markets
with capacity to pay, to be able to cross subsidize those without
capacity
Sarawakian shareholders – Yayasan and SHEF are investing in the
future of Sarawak, Swinburne is a vehicle

Opportunities
The Shareholders, civil servants and (increasingly) the community
appreciate that besides education and training, the investment in
Swinburne Sarawak, results in:
• Goodwill and State branding – Asians particularly, retain life-long
affection for their educational mentors and the place of their
education
• Influx of Foreign (and increasingly), West Malaysian capital
• Incubation of new areas of economic endeavour – the traditional
building of community and economic outcomes that are seeded in
a ‘University’ town

Demand for an Educated Workforce
> Increasing industry demand for trained human capital
especially in the areas of engineering, science and
technology
but also:
business/entrepreneurship, the creative industries
and applied research - for the development of new
ideas and opportunities
> Demand for graduates with hands-on education that
meet industry needs, helps them find a job and
remain employable (lifelong learning)

Demand for Educated Workforce
As economies become more developed, their
citizens demand greater access to education
Numbers of tertiary students are growing
exponentially world-wide and education (along with
health) is demanding more and more capital.
Even highly developed economies such as Germany
(with its strong public service/welfare political ethos)
are struggling to meet demand
How can this situation be eased
More and more by public and private partnerships

Student Enrollment in Other Countries
Enrollment in Private Higher Education as a Percentage of Whole
Korea 84%
Philippines 76%
Japan 76%
India 75%
Brazil 71%
Indonesia 60%
Mexico 56%
Malaysia
22% (2007 – 5 years later)
Source: Korea, latest ADB est 2001, others IBRD/FC 2000, OECD 2001, Levy-research on Private HE
April 2002, Malaysia MoHE 2007

Student Enrollment in Malaysia
(Source: MoHE Website)
Institutions 2004 2005 2006 2007 % +/-
Public Universities 293,987 307,121 331,025 369,117 + 20.4
Private Universities
and University Colleges
89,664 128,330 171,702 191,795 + 53%
Private Colleges 233,227 185,647 152,085 174,005 - 34%
Polytechnics 63,662 73,834 82,045 84,250 + 24%
Community Colleges 8,945 9,873 11,273 14,438 + 38%

Prospects for Private Education in Sarawak
> Globalization of markets and economies also impacts
on Sarawak
> Demand for highly qualified and capable human
resource puts huge pressure on publicly funded
educational organizations
> Developed and developing economies alike are
witnessing enormous growth in demand for
internationally recognized quality training and higher
education
> Recession actually increases demand on
education facilities

Prospects for Private Education in Sarawak
E.G. SCORE
(Source: www.sarawakscore.com.my)
> SCORE – A major initiative undertaken to develop the Central
Region & transform Sarawak into a developed State by the year
2020
> Development – three phases (2008 to 2030)
> Objective – accelerate human capital development within the
Corridor with new learning centres and controlled immigration of
skilled foreign workers.
> Benefit – Creation of 1.5million new jobs

Prospects for Private/International Education
in Sarawak
Potential to develop Edu-tourism
> Swinburne notes constant requests from overseas for
study in Borneo – still one of the ‘magic’ places in the
world’s imagination
But we need edu/eco educational products with
genuine academic merit
> Need to capitalize on the rich natural resources
Sarawak has to offer by partnering study and
research programs with field study and in-situ
experiential learning.

Prospects for Private Education in Sarawak
Research and Development in selective areas such as
biotechnology, civil engineering/soft soils etc.
High quality research requires infrastructure and professional
capacity – such as University research centres with an
international network
A large, strategically, if regionally, located state with a small
population needs to maximize its research potential by dispersing
funding where it can produce results for the state, against a strict
agreement on commercially viable outcomes and to a realistic
timetable

How Will Sarawak Attract Foreign Students
Opportunities
> Sarawak needs further promotion as an ideal and
safe environment for learning and living
> Sarawak can promote the lower cost of living in
comparison with other major cities in the region
> Malaysia/Sarawak is currently reliant on cost of fees
advantage as an attraction to foreign students
> Foreign branch campuses leverage on the
international reputation and networks of their main
campuses to attract foreign students to Sarawak

How will Sarawak Attract Foreign Students
Challenges
> Sarawak has relatively lower level of awareness
internationally, MoHE Malaysia needs to provide
better exposure to education opportunities in
Sarawak
> West Malaysian students are generally reluctant to
consider Sarawak as a study destination – the
domestic profile needs to be improved first
> International students want job opportunities and
experience – Sarawak needs more liberal policies on
work visas for students during and after study

How can Sarawak be Developed as a Regional
Education Hub
A large, regional state with a small population needs
to maximize its education delivery potential by
fostering cooperation and collaboration between
institutions in the State, both public and private
There exists too little critical mass in educational
infrastructure and intellectual property to keep state
potential divided by parochialism or mini empire
building

How Can Sarawak be Developed as a Regional
Education Hub
> Promotion of a “Centre of Education Excellence” and
organization of collective promotional effort of
Sarawak as a study destination nationally and
internationally
> Involvement of relevant state government agencies in
active promotion of Sarawak as a destination that is
ideal for living and education amidst the tourism
attractions
> Improve coordination between state government
agencies and MoHE Malaysia in the promotion of
Sarawak

How Can Sarawak be Developed as a Regional
Education Hub
> Quality hurdles for institutions to be permitted to
recruit foreign students require common agreement
> Amenities large cohorts of incoming students need
such as public transport, housing, access to health
and other services require review/coordination
> Linkage between industry and higher education
institutions, to better align education capacity and
human capital requirements in the State as well as
the region needs brokering
> Government-to-government initiatives for student
sponsorship need targeting

Private/International Education in
Sarawak
Prof. Dr. Helmut Lueckenhausen
PVC & CE