Monash University’s new campus in Bandar Sunway in the State of Selangor

Looking forward to the next decade
Australia’s Monash University is seeking to expand its presence in Malaysia through world-class research and high quality education

This year is the 10th anniversary of the opening of the first foreign university campus in Malaysia. Australia’s Monash University, one of the world’s top 50 according to the Times Higher Education Supplement’s World University Rankings of 2007, was invited to participate in the Malaysian higher education sector at the request of the government in 1998.

As it approached its 10th anniversary this year, the university demonstrated its long term commitment to its host country by moving into a RM200 million (£31 million) campus in the town of Bandar Sunway in the State of Selangor.

Professor Robin Pollard, recently appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor and President (Malaysia), says Monash University has come a long way since its establishment in 1998 and that the opening of the new campus sets a strong foundation for its development into a premier private university that will contribute both to the nation and to Southeast Asia. By 2015, it aspires to be a medium-size university, distinctive for its quality of teaching and research.

Monash University enjoys the same status as any other of the eight campuses of Monash in Australia and South Africa, requiring the same admission standards, offering the same curriculum, using the same assessment methods and expecting the same standards of students and graduates.

Professor Robin Pollard Pro Vice-Chancellor and President (Malaysia), Monash University

At the same time, it views itself as a Malaysian education institution and is keen to contribute to the development of the country and the region through research and sharing its experience and expertise in the higher education sector. Professor Pollard expresses “very strong confidence” in Malaysia’s ability to achieve its ambition of becoming an education hub.

Monash University Malaysia’s next development phase will be the expansion of its research capacity through investments in research infrastructure and by creating a pool of able and active researchers.

“We hope that various initiatives being taken on campus in this area will create an excellent place for researchers to build their careers,” says Professor Pollard.

Research relationships, both with business and with other higher education institutions in Malaysia, will be expanded. “The university has had numerous collaborations with other universities in the country and we look forward to greater collaboration in the near future, especially in the area of research,” he says. “We will reach out to expand our collaborations locally and initiate joint research programmes that will benefit Malaysia and the region.”

A number of projects are already underway and the university boasts the only brain research institute in the country. Headed by Professor Ishwar Parhar, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, the Brain Research Institute at Monash Sunway (BRIMS) has been accepted as an Associate School of Neuroscience of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO).