KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry has identified 44 course programmes at nine public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) which will be completed in three years.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said with the course duration shortened from four to three years, the amount of loan or tuition fees that students had to bear could be reduced.
"At the same time, this will give the graduates the opportunity to enter the job market a year earlier," he said in his speech at the closing of the Jom Masuk U event at Universiti Malaya on Sunday (June 4).
He said the move was a continuous effort by the ministry to update and streamline programmes and courses offered by IPT nationwide for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Mohamed Khaled said that the shortened study period would only involve IPTA programmes and courses which commenced this year.
On the ministry's new initiative to attract students interest and allow better access to higher education, he said flexible learning are being offered by 19 public universities for 95 degree courses which would start with the new 2023/2024 academic session.
He said this was in line with his ministry's proposal to introduce a hybrid and flexible learning system for students who attend lectures at the university only in the first and final year.
On the First Student Development Programme (Sulung) initiative which was introduced last year, Mohamed Khaled said a total of 10,000 B40 students would be fully exempted from tuition fees at all 20 public universities.
"This initiative will have a financial implication of about RM30 million involving all public universities," he said. - Bernama
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