Deep-Dive on Malaysia’s Higher Education Services Trade : March 2022
Malaysia’s higher education sector expanded rapidly in the late 1990s, with the number of institutions peaking in 2001 and the number of international students peaking in 2017. Following improvements in the quality of local universities and the est...
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
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Washington, DC
2022
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099030005172239106/P17466809980060a508844050ed6aa18558 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37466 |
| Summary: | Malaysia’s higher education sector
expanded rapidly in the late 1990s, with the number of
institutions peaking in 2001 and the number of international
students peaking in 2017. Following improvements in the
quality of local universities and the establishment of
branches of international campuses in Malaysia, the country
has become a net receiver of foreign students. Enhanced
trade in the higher education sector, and the expansion of
the sector, bodes well for Malaysia’s next phase of economic
development. The objectives of this paper are to document
the pattern of trade in higher education services in
Malaysia and to analyze the main factors that constrain
trade in this sector. First, the paper aims to document
Malaysia’s higher education landscape and the pattern of
trade in each of the four modes of services trade. Second,
it seeks to identify key policy challenges and constraints
affecting this sector. The paper employs a combination of
quantitative, qualitative, and institutional research
methods. The paper finds that despite numerous
liberalization measures, a number of remaining restrictions
and limitations continue to impact trade in the sector. The
paper finds that the most significant policy challenges
likely relate to domestic constraints. To attract foreign
students and faculty members and to enhance trade in the
higher education sector, it is crucial to ease the visa and
immigration processes and rules. Furthermore, measures to
enhance the digitalization of administrative processes at
the regulatory agencies and at Higher Education Institution
(HEIs) can increase efficiency, with the potential to reduce
the burden associated with excessive documentation
requirements. It is also crucial that agencies and
universities systematically collect more data to better
inform policy reforms and guide universities in how to
improve their programs. |
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