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By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar - October 9, 2018 @ 3:13pm

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has to constantly check on the enablers for the higher education eco-system, said Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.

He said these enablers covered critical components such as funding, governance, innovation, internationalisation, on-line learning and delivery.

“Only then can we achieve the outcomes for our key stakeholders in the higher education system of holistic, entrepreneurial and balanced graduates, talent excellence, quality graduates and Malaysia will be known as a nation of lifelong learners,” he said at the 6th Global Higher Education Forum 2018 (GHEF 6.0).

Maszlee’s speech was read by Higher Education deputy director-general Professor Dr Noor Azizi Ismail.

GHEF is a biennial event that brings together scholars, policymakers, researchers, academics, administrators, students, industries and the like to reflect, discuss and debate current issues confronting global higher education.

The GHEF 6.0 examines the trends and perspectives of global higher education with the theme “Thriving for Knowledge, Industry and Humanity in a Dynamic Higher Education Ecosystem.”

These enablers and outcomes, Maszlee said, addressed key policy and performance issues in the system, particularly with regard to quality and efficiency, as well as global trends that were disrupting the higher education landscape.

“For example, there is much that Malaysia can do to enable global prominence. We can among others encourage more inter-ministerial and agency cooperation by operationalising a communication platform with the required political will to make smoother admission and immigration processes for international students coming to Malaysia.

“We can (also) develop a National Consortium of Public Universities for education diplomacy to identify new markets for sustainable international student population growth; leverage on Malaysian democracy and multiculturalism as a success story and a brand of global prominence of our education.

“We can modernise our public university’s hosting and hospitality of international students and their independence by providing quality and choice of on-campus accomodation solutions,” he added.