Dr Sean Matthews, Director of Studies in Modern Languages and Cultures; Dr Rozilini M Fernandez-Chung, Vice President HELP University; Mr Patrick Joseph, Director of Academic Services; Dr Christopher Hill, Director of Graduate School
What do we mean by ‘internationalisation’? How are the wider processes of ‘globalisation’ affecting the work and strategy of universities? What has been the impact on Malaysian students, and the wider Malaysian economy and society, of this rapid growth in student and staff numbers, of this proliferation of foreign education providers? These were the questions raised during a passionate, informed and amusing Inaugural Lecture, ‘The Future of Internationalisation: A Malaysian Perspective’, delivered by Dr Rozilini M Fernandez-Chung, Vice-President of HELP University, to mark the launch of the University of Nottingham’s new ‘Knowledge Without Borders Network’.
Malaysia has for many years been a regional leader in the internationalisation of Higher Education. The expansion and enhancement of the tertiary sector is a key element in the country’s aspiration to become a developed nation by 2020. The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus has been in the forefront of this process since its foundation in 1999, and now hosts nearly 5000 students, of whom around 40% are from beyond Malaysia’s borders, at its spacious, countryside campus in Semenyih.
Dr Fernandez-Chung, who was at the heart of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and the Ministry of Higher Education for much of the last decade, whilst also maintaining an impressive academic career examining policy and practice issues in the sector, gave a powerful account of the challenges facing Malaysian universities, in particular the difficult balance between economic or business imperatives, and wider nation-building or ethical concerns. She particularly praised The University of Nottingham for taking the original risk of setting up such a major operation in Malaysia, and for its refusal to compromise quality and standards in the delivery of its programmes.
The launch of the Knowledge Without Borders Network, she argued, was an indication of the way in which Malaysia is now entering a new phase in its internationalisation, a period of reflection and consolidation. The Network will provide the opportunity, the space, to bring together the experience and wisdom of the full range of professionals involved in Higher Education – from the academics and teachers, to the managers and administrators, the students, and the myriad support staff who go to make up the ‘total campus experience’ of Higher Education.
Dr Sean Matthews, Director of Studies in Modern Languages and Cultures and Co-Coordinator of the Knowledge Without Borders Network, was delighted with Dr Fernandez-Chung’s lecture, and excited at the Network’s potential to take forward the internationalisation agenda. ‘Nottingham, and Malaysia, are in the vanguard of internationalisation in Higher Education,’ Dr Matthews commented. ‘In the coming years we all hope to maintain that position: the Knowledge Without Borders Network is a unique forum for the exploration of policy and practice, the articulation of new ideas and priorities, and above all the ongoing attention to how best to deliver the highest standards of education in a global context.’
The lecture was attended by 70 local and international educational leaders, including representatives from some 18 countries, amongst them Nottingham’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Internationalisation, and Co-Coordinator of the Network, Professor Christine Ennew; Dato’ Dr Siti Zaleha binti Abdullah Sani, Senior Fellow and Head of Social Unit, ISIS; and Dr Duleep Deosthale, Vice-President of Manipal International University. During the Q&A, participants shared knowledge and information concerning organizational strategy, educational leadership, teaching and curriculum, and intercultural communication and understanding.
For further information concerning the Knowledge Without Borders Network, please contact kwbn@nottingham.edu.my, phone (+603) 8924 8040 or via the web at www.nottingham.edu.my/kwbn.
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Notes to editors:
The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as “the embodiment of the modern international university”, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK by 2012 application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK’s top 10 and the world’s top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy and sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news or www.nottingham.edu.my/NewsEvents
Released by The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Please contact: Josephine Dionisappu, PR & Communications Manager at josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my, (+603) 8924 8746.
Posted on 21st June 2012