UK NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY TO SET UP MEDICAL FACULTY IN MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Newcastle University of Medicine plans to
set up a medical faculty to known as Newcastle University of Medicine, Malaysia
(NUMed), in Iskandar Malaysia, the southern development corridor in southern
state Johor, by 2011 in line with its expansion in Southeast Asia.

Newcastle University of Medicine (NUMed) Malaysia Sdn Bhd's chief executive
officer Professor Reginald Jordon said the medical faculty based in Iskandar
Malaysia will be the first medical university for Newcastle University outside
the United Kingdom.

"Iskandar Malaysia will serve as an entry-point into the rest of Asia, and
in near vicinity of Singapore and Indonesia," he told Bernama in an interview
recently.

Iskandar Investment Bhd's senior vice-president of education and
healthcare, Khairil Anwar Ahmad, said UK Newcastle University will be the first
university to set up its campus in Educity, Iskandar Malaysia.

"In EduCity, the multi-varsity concept of various faculties offering
various disciplines in tertiary education will be housed," he said in an
email.

Iskandar Investment, formerly known as South Johor Investment Corporation
Bhd, is the sole developer assigned to be the catalytic force for Iskandar
Malaysia.

"Iskandar Investment has been actively pursuing institutions, and we plan
to bring in a top engineering university from the UK, hospitality school from
Switzerland and top university in applied sciences," Khairil said.

He said Iskandar Investment was also eyeing overseas medical schools or
institutions to be a key component of EduCity, which is one of its key catalytic
developments in Iskandar Malaysia in the education field.

According to Jordon, Iskandar Malaysia serves as a strategic location and
provides a conducive environment for study.

"It is strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia. Hence, we see
us being located in Iskandar Malaysia as we are able to provide the best in
medical education for students not only in Malaysia but also the wider region,"
he said.

Construction of the medical campus is expected to be completed in 2011,
Jordon said.

"It will involve a land lease cost of RM300 million to RM400 million. In
terms of economic benefits to the country, we believe it will have the potential
to generate RM2.5 billion to RM3 billion within the next 30 years with the
facilities that we are going to establish," he said.

With the setting up of the medical faculty in Iskandar Malaysia, Jordon
said students could study in Malaysia and obtain a Newcastle University medical
degree at about half the cost of doing so in the UK.

He said the medical faculty in Malaysia will also have collaboration in
terms of research and development (R&D) with the main R&D facility in
the UK.

"We will focus on stem cell research in Malaysia and the commercial
economic potential in this sector," he added.

According to Jordon, NUMed is eyeing the business potential of stem cell
activities in Malaysia in collaboration with private enterprises and research
institutes.

He said NUMed, the company set up by Newcastle University for its medical
campus in Malaysia, also aimed to extend its postgraduate studies in Iskandar
Malaysia to specialise in selected fields of medicine in the near
future.

Jordan said the target date for the first intake of students for
undergraduate studies in Iskandar Malaysia is expected to be in 2009.

"The first and second intake of students will study in Newcastle
University, UK, for the first two years and then return to Malaysia to complete
the remaining three years in Iskandar Malaysia," he said.

According to Khairil, the setting of NUMed in Iskandar Malaysia represents
a landmark achievement in creating a best-in-class international education hub
in the region.
-- BERNAMA