Idris: Malaysia now a preferred education destination

SEMENYIH: Students from all over the world are choosing Malaysia as their preferred education destination, said Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

“The world we see today is becoming smaller and smaller.

“Malaysia now hosts students from many countries, including China, Pakistan, and India,” the Second Education Minister told participants at the launch of the British Council’s Successor Generation Initiative (SGI), a programme by the British High Commission to engage youths who have the potential to be future leaders.

“We also have the New Colombo Plan with Australian and New Zealand students coming here,” Idris added.

Earlier, Idris and Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British government Hugo Swire met at a closed-door meeting.

Swire said SGI would offer young Malaysians opportunities to develop their leadership skills.

“They can follow the ministers on Twitter if they have more questions or suggestions,” he said.

A group of The Star’s Starstruck! interns and participants from other universities spent 20 minutes at a closed-door question-and-answer session with Idris, Swire and British High Commissioner to Malaysia Vicki Treadell.

Starstruck! intern Ashvin Singh Tiwana said that among the questions asked were the difference in standards between British and Malaysian campuses, how to raise the importance of the arts and social humanities and how to boost the confidence of quiet individuals.

The participants were also encouraged to start their discussion via Twitter using the hashtag #MySGI even before the event started.