On the 23rd November 2021, a hybrid ceremony by the Victorian Government’s had successfully launched a Study Melbourne Hub Kuala Lumpur program as it is about the Victorian Government’s investment in global infrastructure and resources in recognition and support of Malaysian students and their significant contribution.
During the launch, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of National Unity YB Senator Wan Ahmad Fayhsal bin Wan Ahmad Kamal; Chief Executive Officer of Global Victoria Gönül Serbest; Victoria’s Commissioner to South East Asia Rebecca Hall; and Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission to Malaysia Hannah Birdsey was present during the opening ceremony.
With approximately 7,700 Malaysian students currently enrolled in Victorian institutions, Victoria became a popular study destination for Malaysian students. Due to the current pandemic, about a quarter student studied from home with the travelling restrictions. With this, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as one of the two strategic locations within ASEAN to establish Study Melbourne Hubs.
Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of National Unity, YB Senator Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, said: “The establishment of this and similar hubs all over the world is a laudable effort in introducing innovation in the way we deliver education and education solutions. At the same time, it is in line with Malaysia’s effort to place itself as the region’s education destination of choice; as well as to improve Malaysia’s own interconnectivity with the rest of the world’s education ecosystem.
With the opening of Study Melbourne Hub Kuala Lumpur, a funding of AUD33.4 million will be given or the 2021-22 Victorian Budget over the next four years by Martin Pakula as an International Education Short Term Recovery Plan.
Chief Executive Officer of Global Victoria, Gönül Serbest, also announced fifteen Malaysian students had received a prestigious Career Catalyst scholarship worth AUD5,000 dollars providing the opportunity to undertake job readiness training and a three-month supported virtual internship with a Victorian company.
Victoria’s Commissioner to South East Asia, Rebecca Hall, said: “Victoria is the only Australian state or territory to provide its international students with offshore study hubs – the inaugural Study Melbourne Hub Shanghai was launched in April 2021, and another hub is scheduled to open in Ho Chi Minh City next month”.
For Victoria, international education is a critical services export and jobs provider that contributed AUD13.7 billion to the Victorian economy and supported around 79,000 Victorian jobs before the pandemic.
To learn more about the Study Melbourne Hub Kuala Lumpur, visit studymelbourne.vic.gov.au/Hubs/Kuala-Lumpur.
