HO CHI MINH CITY

Eyeing prospects on Indo-china Market

COUNTRIES CAMBODIA LAOS MYANMAR VIETNAM THAILAND TOTAL Number of students from Indo-china as of 31 December 2010

Chicken and egg story Number of students vs potential market

Indo-china students recruitment: Challenges - Malaysia as a Muslim country – population of countries in Indo-china are mostly Buddhist ( negative perceptions – terrorism, threat, unsafe ) Income disparity – rich and poor ( huge ) : Malaysia is priced for middle to upper income group Malaysia vs SINGAPORE

Why Indochina ? Demand vs number of institutions – local institutions not enough to accommodate increasing number of students who qualify to enter local universities ( leaving those who fail to enter local universities with no other options ) Education system in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos is far behind – parents and students keen to go out in search of good quality education Distance – close to Malaysia ( advantages to both students and institutions ) Effects on economic crisis – Malaysia is seen as a destination to reduce cost Tourism is on the increase – more Malaysians coming to Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos with direct flights from MAS and Air Asia (creating a bigger impact on Malaysia as a country to the local people)

WHAT STUDENTS FROM INDO-CHINA LOOK FOR QUALITY OF PROGRAMS / BRAND / RANKING OF INSTITUTIONS – academic reputation of a country FEES STUDY & LIVING ENVIRONMENT – environmental conditions LANGUAGE ACQUISITION – English speaking countries PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES – study & work CAREER ADVANCEMENT – not gaining selection to top universities will limit career potential

Area of studies: Vietnam – hospitality, commerce, business, engineering, ICT, marketing Myanmar – education, medicine, business, ICT, nursing Cambodia – business, ICT, commerce Laos – business, ICT Thailand – hospitality, business, banking, education, ICT

Current emerging demand : Vocational education programs – to cater to mostly of those with less qualified academic background but very keen to find employment Focus more on accredited vocational training programs – to meet demands of students with no high qualification Note : most countries in Indo-china are struggling with skills shortages in many areas due to their rapid growth

WHAT CAN WE DO? Sponsorships – partial / full ( other countries have been providing ) positive images/stories about Malaysia – modern, developed & safe Malaysia Frequent visits – the more you come the more they know - NO touch & go Collaborations with local institutions – we contribute in making their education standards higher through exchange programs, twinning etc ( publicities on collaborations will help to promote Malaysia, they like us when we also believe in them ) Proper marketing strategies that suit the market – sell twinning programs with foreign reputable institutions to convince them Work closely with alumni – parents and students believe those who already had experience in Malaysia Follow up with agents – don’t let them manipulate things and mislead potential leads

THANK YOU