Access to education isn’t just about helping the individual - it’s about lifting an entire nation and reaping the economic, social, and environmental benefits resulting from it, says Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Expanding Australia’s presence and investment in education across the region is a key priority outlined in the country’s South-East Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 report, he said, adding that Malaysia is one of Australia’s largest transnational education partners, hosting campuses of no less than four of its varsities.
Albanese was in Kuala Lumpur to mark Monash University Malaysia’s partnership with Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) City to establish a RM2.8bil campus in the heart of the city.
He said Monash was the first Australian university to set up a campus in Malaysia back in 1998.
The upcoming campus marks the varsity’s largest-ever international education investment.
Set to open in 2032, the future Monash Malaysia campus will accommodate up to 22,500 students and 1,700 staff by 2040.
More than 35 new courses will be introduced in fields such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, climate change and sustainability, healthcare, semiconductor and advanced manufacturing, banking and finance.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Malaysia’s policies of internationalising education are anchored on the belief that learning knows no borders, that the exchange of ideas, talents and expertise among nations can create a more just, prosperous, and peaceful world.
Monash University, he said, is a valued part of Malaysia’s higher education landscape.
“Since its establishment in Malaysia, Monash has not only delivered world-class education, but has also enriched the intellectual, cultural and research ecosystem in Malaysia.
“This new development aligns with the Malaysia Madani vision, the National Higher Education Blueprint for 2036-2035, and our new Industrial Masterplan 2030,” he said, adding that Australia has been and continues to be one of the country’s most trusted and active partners.
“When nations learn together, they grow together.
“When students from different cultures study, live, and dream together, they build bonds that are not easily broken,” he said.
Also present at the Oct 28 event were Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke, Deputy High Commissioner Simon Fellows, Monash University president and vice-chancellor Prof Sharon Pickering, Monash University Malaysia president and pro vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, and TRX City chief executive officer Datuk Azmar Talib.
