| Gaia: | Generally, the flow of international students in Malaysia has increased steadily
since 1996, when various higher education reforms were introduced to facilitate
the entry of international students into higher education institutions. Malaysia's
target is 100,000 international students by 2010. Currently, international students
represent less than 5 per cent of all tertiary enrolments in Malaysia. Although the
percentage is small but it is an important factor in the internationalisation of
higher education in Malaysia. The impact of September 11 has seen a decreasing
number of new applications from Middle Eastern countries to the United States
(US). While students from these countries were reluctant to go to the US for their
education, the US government-mandated changes in the admissions process
themselves have contributed to the decrease in new enrolment. Interestingly,
Malaysia has emerged as an important destination for students from the Middle
East. Malaysia provides excellent education and adequate security. They feel safe
in Malaysia. Realising these emerging opportunities, the government has
organised seminars and exhibitions annually in the Middle East with a view to
encouraging more enrolment. This paper will discuss several lessons learned
from such a strategy, from the perspective of the government and the universities
that have enrolled these students.
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