MEPC DUBAI EYES 25,000 MIDEAST STUDENTS BY END-2009

DUBAI, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Education Promotion Centre (MEPC)
Dubai is targeting to have 25,000 students from the Middle East pursuing their
education in Malaysia by year end.

Its regional director for Middle East and North Africa, Shushilil Azam
Shuib, said the students would come from countries like Yemen, Sudan, Libya and
Saudi Arabia where efforts were being made to promote Malaysian education.

He said Malaysian institutions of higher learning were hosting 19,467
students as of April 2009.

"Somalia is also a big market for us, with 1,353 Somalis studying in
Malaysia as of April this year," Shushilil Azam said, adding that the number was
expected to rise further.

He told Bernama that former Somali students in Malaysia were doing a good
job in spreading the word about Malaysian education among fellow Somalis.

In addition, he said, MEPC Dubai was targeting more students from Iraq and
Palestine, with 1,623 Iraqis and about 300 Palestinian students currently in
Malaysia.

Shushilil Azam said it would be good for public and private universities in
Malaysia to compile the names and other relevant particulars of their foreign
final-year students and forward them to the Higher Education Ministry.

This, he said, would facilitate efforts to rope them in later on when
education promotions were being organised in their respective countries.

"That's why it's important to pay attention to the welfare of foreigners
pursuing their education in Malaysia.

"When people are treated well in our country, in all likelihood they will
say good things about us when they return home, raising the possibility of
others making their way to Malaysia to further their studies," he added.

-- BERNAMA