KUALA NERUS: International students are injecting about RM20bil a year into Malaysia’s economy, with some 167,000 students currently contributing through tuition fees, accommodation, food and other living expenses, says Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS).
Its chief executive officer Novie Tajuddin said based on a study conducted by EMGS, each international student spends an average of about RM10,000 a month throughout their stay in the country.
“With 167,000 international students currently in Malaysia, this has an impact of about RM20bil annually on the national economy. For example, if they study at universities in Terengganu such as Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), the surrounding communities also benefit from the positive social and economic impact,” he said at the Malaysian Cultural Discovery Community Immersion programme at Pantai Teluk Ketapang here yesterday.
He added that the presence of international students not only benefits higher education institutions but also stimulates local economic activities, including food and service businesses.
Novie said Malaysia is now recognised as one of the world’s 14 leading higher education destinations, demonstrating that the country is increasingly becoming a preferred choice among international students pursuing their studies.
“Previously, only four countries, namely the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada, were often the top choices for international students, but Malaysia is now also on the list.
“This shows that we have become a competitor in global higher education,” he said, Bernama reported.
Novie said the number of international students in Malaysia had increased by about 23% over the past three years, indicating growing interest among foreign students in pursuing their studies in the country.
He said Malaysia aims to attract 500,000 international students by 2035, as outlined in the 10-year Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint.
“We currently have 167,000 international students. We are undertaking many initiatives to increase the number, and this is just one of them.
“We will go to various parts of the world, covering about seven to eight regions, to promote Malaysian higher education,” he said.
According to Novie, the five largest sources of international students were China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
He said most international students were postgraduate students, while the overall figure included students enrolled at public higher education institutions and private higher education institutions.
