PETALING JAYA: Studying abroad will expose students to global networking opportunities and an international syllabus, all of which will give them a competitive edge in their careers.
Students can discover options for international tertiary education at the Star Education Fair 2022 happening at the Tropicana Gardens Mall Convention Centre from 11am to 7pm today.
The fair has gathered some of the biggest educational institutions to offer scholarships, grants, rebates and advice on studying abroad and locally.
Institute of International Edu-cation international outreach and recruitment officer Savitree Supanwattanachai said studying abroad would offer a dynamic learning opportunity.
“Students will get to learn from top faculty members, many of whom come from internationally renowned universities.
“The classroom will also be very diverse and you will get to network with students from other countries,” said Supanwattanachai, who is representing the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in the United Arab Emirates at the fair.
National University of Singapore pharmacy department head Prof Christina Chai said studying abroad would widen students’ career prospects.
“When they have exposure to pharmaceutical practitioners within our programme and if they do well, they could have opportunities to work in Singapore,” she said.
Mercator Office communication officer for international education Thong Jia Huey, who is representing Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen at the fair, said an international education is not necessarily expensive.
Seize the opportunity: The fair provides scholarships, grants, rebates, advice, and more. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
She said public universities in Germany offered courses with no tuition fees, even to international students, except in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.
“The cost of living in Germany is generally low and students can also work part time,” she said, adding that part-time work is permitted for up to 120 full days or 240 half days.
Students who are keen to study abroad must make sure they have access to a reliable banking account for living expenses, advised RHB Bank branch manager Faris Azizi Adnan.
Suggesting that parents and students sign up for a multi-currency account, he said such a facility is necessary as the exchange rates would be unaffected by currency fluctuations.
Meanwhile, those looking for top local institutions to continue their tertiary journey should also pay a visit to the fair.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS admissions, record and marketing senior executive Tun Muhammad Faliq Aizat said its experienced counsellors are on hand to address questions.
“We have personalised consultation during which visitors can speak to our representatives to learn more about the facilities or scholarships that are available,” he said.
International College of Creative Arts Technology marketing and student recruitment manager Thaneesh Ganesan said visitors to the fair would get a better idea of their education path.
“We will advise them on tertiary education options so they have a better understanding of the [different] routes [available],” he said.
The Star Education Fair 2022 and myStar Job Fair 2022 are held side-by-side at the exhibition centre, allowing visitors to conveniently check out what is offered at both events. Admission is free for both fairs.
Visitors also stand a chance to win, among others, vouchers for streaming platform VIU, RM200 Ikea gift cards, The Star subscriptions and diving masks.
They should also not miss out on the interesting talks happening today, including topics like “Postgraduate Education Progra-mmes at NUS Department of Pharmacy: Nurturing Future Leaders in Pharmaceutical Industry and Academia” from 2pm to 2.30pm, and “Study in Germany: University of Duisburg-Essen” from 4pm to 4.30pm.
For details on the fair, email edufair@thestar.com.my or visit facebook.com/stareducationfair.
