The UCSI University, one of the top-ranked and largest private universities in Malaysia, has gone transnational with the soft launch of its first international branch campus in Bangladesh.
The new campus will be based in the capital and operations will commence in May this year. It is the first time UCSI is committing to a branch campus overseas.
Malaysia's Higher Education Minister Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the launch dovetailed well with the ministry's internationalisation plans.
"The UCSI University Bangladesh will boost Malaysia's status as a global education hub, and I commend UCSI for this post-pandemic initiative," he said at the launch event held at UCSI's Kuala Lumpur campus Friday.
Read more: Cheapest countries for Bangladeshi students for higher studies
"I encourage more private providers to consider similar arrangements. The Malaysian brand of higher education is synonymous with quality, and we can impact international markets," he added.
Malaysia's UCSI University launches international branch campus in Bangladesh
UCSI Vice-Chancellor Professor Siti Hamisah Tapsir said: "Our new campus would initially focus on teaching and learning before moving up the value chain."
"To optimise graduate outcomes and improve life chances, we will offer programmes that reflect the needs and economic trends outlined by our Bangladeshi partners," she said.
"We will move on to prioritise research, executive education and cross-campus collaboration in line with the organic growth of the new campus."
Rehana Parvin, first secretary (political) at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, was also present at the launch event.
UCSI's Bangladesh campus will commence at a 45,000 square feet city campus with 24 degree and masters programmes in business, computer science, engineering, architecture, social sciences and design.
The campus is projected to enrol around 5,000 students over seven years. Operations will move to a three-acre purpose-built site that houses over 200,000 square feet of space within this period.
UCSI was Malaysia's top private university in the QS World University Rankings 2023. Ranked 284, UCSI is classified in the world's top 1 percent.
The university presently operates three campuses in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Port Dickson.
Source: United News of Bangladesh