Vietnamese students studying abroad in Malaysia increased 3 times

International students in Malaysia - Photo: SUNWAY UNIVERSITY

Mr. Firdauz Othman, Consul General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City, said that although Malaysia is a very new study abroad market for Vietnamese students, it has only become widely known since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has recorded strong growth.

According to statistics in August 2023, Malaysia welcomed about 1,054 Vietnamese students to study in this country, including regular programs such as undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral. This number does not include thousands of students taking short-term English courses.

In 2023, the Malaysian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City received 740 visa applications from Vietnamese students to study in Malaysia. This number increased by more than 300% compared to 2022.

In the first 5 months of 2024, this agency received 225 visa applications from Vietnamese students to study in Malaysia.

According to Consul General Firdauz Othman, total trade turnover in 2023 will reach 17.38 billion USD, of which total exports to Vietnam will reach 11.36 billion USD, while imports will be at 6.01 billion USD. The economic exchange platform between the two countries will further develop cultural and educational exchanges.

Dr. Azriey Mazlan,Education Consul, Consulate General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the strength of studying abroad in Malaysia is that it has universities that are at the top of international rankings, but the cost of studying and living is much more competitive than many other study abroad markets.

For example, Dr. Azriey Mazlan introduced some high-ranking universities in Malaysia such as University of Malaya ranked 70, Universiti Putra Malaysia ranked 123, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ranked 129, Universiti Sains Malaysia ranked 143 (QS 2023).

On average, university tuition fees for international students in Malaysia are around USD 8,000/year, living expenses are around USD 5,000/year. Correspondingly, these figures average USD 17,000/year and USD 8,000/year in Singapore, USD 26,000/year and USD 17,000/year in Australia…

Mr. Huynh Kim Toan - Director of VSE Study Abroad Promotion Center - commented that many international students consider Malaysia as a stepping stone to transfer to Australia and the UK. Many major universities such as Monash University, Curtin University, Newcastle University (Australia), Southampton University, Nottingham University, Reading University (UK) ... have training facilities (campuses) in Malaysia.

According to Mr. Toan, many international students choose to study at campuses in Malaysia or choose a joint program in Malaysia for the first 1-2 years, then transfer to the main campus of the university in Australia or the UK. This transfer route can save 30-50% of costs compared to full-time study abroad.

As of December 2023, Malaysia attracts about 170,000 international students.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-hoc-sinh-viet-nam-sang-malaysia-tang-gap-3-lan-20240615143654734.htm