There is this perception among employers that overseas graduates are more employable 

by AZALEA AZUAR / pic MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

THE twinning programme at universities has been a popular choice among students who wish to study abroad while also saving some of their money. 

According to EduAdvisor co-founder Loh Sue May, this allows students to study overseas at a lower cost, save on tuition fees and living expenses, and graduate with an overseas degree certificate. 

“Other benefits of studying abroad include gaining a global perspective, cultural immersion and expanded career opportunities. 

“By studying abroad, students can access higher-ranking universities, gain a global perspective and build valuable life skills such as independence, self-reliance and adaptability as they navigate new environments and cultures,” she told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR). 

Studying abroad can also provide students with the opportunity to stay on and work after graduating while through twinning programmes, local universities can move up the world university rankings. 

“There are also student exchange programmes and semester abroad options now which allow students to have overseas exposure for a shorter time frame. 

“Ultimately, the value of having studied abroad is subjective and depends on a person’s goals, career aspirations and financial situation,” Loh said. 

She took note that these days the term “twinning” is no longer commonly used but replaced with “transfer” instead. 

Although these programmes are more expensive than completing the entire degree locally, there is this perception among employers that overseas graduates are more employable. 

Studying overseas is also seen as beneficial to the local job market as it exposes students to different ideas, brings new perspectives and contributes to the country’s growth. 

“Being abroad enables transfer students to build a global network of friends, which can be useful as the world becomes more connected. 

“Lastly, the cross-cultural understanding gained from living abroad can benefit individuals in a multi-cultural country like Malaysia, where people from diverse backgrounds often work together in harmony,” Loh added. 

Studying the Same Programme Locally and Overseas

Twinning programmes are partnerships between Malaysian and overseas universities, allowing students to start their degree studies in Malaysia and transfer abroad for the remainder. 

The syllabus, course structure and grading are created in partnership between the local and partner universities, allowing for easy transfer of credits and skills. 

Different higher learning institutions offer different durations of twinning programmes. 

The common durations are 1+2 Programmes (one year in Malaysia, two years overseas), 2+1 Programmes (two years in Malaysia, one year overseas), 1+3 Programmes (one year in Malaysia and three years overseas), 2+2 Programmes (two years in Malaysia, two years overseas) and 3+1 Programmes (three years in Malaysia, one year overseas). 

Those with a longer local studying duration are cheaper, however, they are limited in terms of university and course options, as universities offer lesser courses for only one year of study overseas compared to two or three years. 

A higher learning institution offering twinning programmes is Taylor’s University, which has partnered with more than 200 universities worldwide. 

Its American Degree Transfer Programme (ADP) was developed to allow students to take the majority of their US general education classes in Malaysia. 

The university has signed articulation pathways with leading US institutions and has established credit transfer precedents with other institutions there. 

This allows students to maximise the number of credits prior learning they can be offered. 

Meanwhile, HELP University has claimed to be the only university in the world to have a 2+1 articulation programme with The University of Queensland (UQ). 

In 2016, 74 business students transferred to UQ, out of which 15 were awarded scholarships. A-Levels, Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) or Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students with relevant results can go directly into the 2+1 programme. 

Furthermore, the University of Nottingham Malaysia is offering the Intercampus Exchange Programme, allowing its students to study at overseas campuses in China and the UK. 

For instance, its BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence degree (CSAI) offers different models that can be transferred to the UK. 

It all depends on the Year 2 academic rankings and they will be contacted if qualified to join CSAI (2+1). 

On the other hand, City University offers a Bachelor of Hospitality Management (Hons) (Vatel Dual Award-France) programme where it has partnered with Vatel Kuala Lumpur to teach French hospitality to its students. 

The programme provides students with a stimulating learning environment with facilities such as a cafeteria, culinary kitchen and upcoming fine dining kitchen as well as a brasserie. 

One of its students, Aasvinitha Rajendra, enrolled last month as she wished to earn two types of certificates. 

“I can at least get two types of certificates, one locally and one from overseas. 

“It will be a good opportunity for me because I am able to find a good place to work upon completing my studies,” she said. 

UK the Top Choice for Overseas Education

The UK remains the top destination for twinning programmes. 

According to a joint study by the British Council and Universities UK International (UUKi), one of six students between 2018 and 2019 were “transnational entrants” who came to the UK through programmes abroad and credit recognition agreements. 

These entrants consist of those who transferred from overseas universities or have earned sub-degree pathway qualifications overseas. 

More than 15,000 international students entered their second year and beyond without having previously studied on a UK campus. 

Chinese and Malaysian international students make up a significant portion of those who enter UK universities through partnerships. 

Over a third of Chinese students and 40% of Malaysian students begin their first degrees in Year 2 or later while only 10% of undergraduates are from the European Union (EU) countries. 

British Council Malaysia head of education Prabha Sundram explained that there are currently more than 47,000 Malaysian students enrolled in UK transnational education (TNE). “Private Malaysian colleges have a long history of offering franchised UK degrees, either delivered entirely within the country or with students moving to the UK for the final part of their course. 

“At the outset of TNE provision in Malaysia, most programmes were fully franchised (3+0) and twinning arrangements provided through private colleges,” she said. 

As the market changed, TNE models like 1+2, 2+2, and 2+1 grew in popularity, known as “twinning” programmes, as students and parents aimed for affordability and overseas experience. 

Colleges became universities with degree awarding powers, leading to dual or joint degree partnerships. 

“Many of these colleges have since been upgraded to university status and now possess their own degree-awarding powers. 

“As a result, many franchised degree programmes have transitioned to dual award or joint degree partnerships,” Prabha added. 

She also shared that the UK market share in Malaysia’s outbound market has grown from 30% to 41% since the pandemic as Malaysian students find studying in the UK appealing due to their strong connection. 

“The UK is second only to Australia among the major English-speaking host destination markets in attracting Malaysian students and hosts nearly four times more students from Malaysia as the US and Canada combined,” she added. 

Furthermore, the British Council promotes growth for UK-Malaysian higher education collaborations through its programme, Going Global Partnerships. 

It specialises in establishing thematic alliances and facilitating multilateral partnerships, trans-national education initiatives and large-scale collaborations for mutual benefit, fostering academic development, research and innovation investments. 

The British Council and Higher Education Ministry launched the UK-Malaysia University Consortium in 2022 to boost international higher education engagement. 

The consortium will be hosting a Student Conference in Kuala Lumpur on July 17-21, this year to promote international education and cooperation between UK and Malaysian institutions. 

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• This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition