Chang Da Wan

Changing higher education practice in Malaysia: the conundrum of incentives

International university rankings are a widely used measure of higher education excellence. Since publication rates are an important element in most ranking systems, pushing faculty to increase their publication in top-tier international journals is viewed by many government and university officials as an important strategy for improving ratings and thus gaining international recognition. This study examined the manner in which public universities in Malaysia have created and aligned incentives in an effort to encourage faculty members to increase their publication rate in top-tier international journals. The study is grounded in principal–agent theory and utilized data from 47 interviews conducted with faculty members from across four public universities in Malaysia. Findings suggest that while university administrators’ aspirations for higher international rankings are high, administrators are limited in the incentives they can utilize in effecting the change they seek. Their levers of influence over faculty work are limited in the Malaysian context.

The development of Malaysian higher education: Making sense of the nation-building agenda in the globalisation era

Purpose Universities in Malaysia, particular public universities, have been tasked not only with the traditional focus on the pursuit of knowledge, but also the important role of nation-building. This paper explores the nation-building agenda in the development of Malaysian higher education in the globalisation era. Design/methodology/approach Grounded within the literature of nation-building and globalisation and neoliberalism, the approach of this paper examines the development of higher education in Malaysia across time. Findings Two particular aspects in the Malaysian higher education that have seen tension and changes emerging from the interaction between globalisation and nation-building: the medium of instruction and hybridisation in universities. Originality/value The paper illustrates the ways in which universities have adapted in terms of the medium of instruction between the Malay language and English, as well as hybridisation that has taken place as a result of globalisation on the local visio...

Hybrid Universities in Malaysia

Are Asian universities different from those in Western countries? Premised on the hypothesis that Asian universities are different because of hybridization between Western academic models and local traditional cultures, this paper investigates the hybrid characteristics in Malaysian universities resulting from interaction between contemporary external influences and local traditional practices. At the system level, the interaction between external ideology of neoliberalism and local ethnic-based politics has resulted in ethnized neoliberalism in the higher education system. Hybrid characteristics at the institutional level have been operationalized into the domains of governance and management, programmes and curriculum, teaching and learning, and research and service. Based on three types of universities in Malaysia – mainstream, Islamic and Chinese community-based – we argue that Malaysian universities are hybrid universities because many of the policies and practices are distinctively different from the Western academic models. Indigenization of the Western models had taken place resulting in unique form of university governance and management, Islamization of curriculum and the Asian cultural ethos of the campus in Malaysian universities.

The development of Malaysian universities: Exploring characteristics emerging from interaction between Western academic models and traditional and local cultures

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to investigate, in general, what are the contemporary external influences that have been dominant in Malaysian universities and what are the major local traditional practices that are also found in these universities. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nFrom the literature review, the paper proposes a conceptual framework to explore hybridity in governance and management, programs and curriculum, teaching and learning, and research and service. n n n n nFindings n n n n nUsing the conceptual framework, the paper discusses the Malaysian higher education in terms of Western influence and indigenization of Western models, the background context of Islamic universities and seven possible hybridities compiled from anecdotal evidences. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThe conceptual framework and possible hybridities identified in the paper serve to provide the guide to a more systemic empirical investigation to examine the characteristics of Malaysian universities emerging from the interaction between external influence and local cultures. The Malaysian case also potentially contribute in exploring the question, “Are Asian universities different from Western universities?”.

Higher Education in Malaysia

Higher education in Malaysia has a relatively short but interesting history. This article examines the development over the course of six decades in terms of the state–university relationship, actors and stakeholders, and the ecosystem in which universities, higher education institutions and ministries operate. To enable a systematic analysis of the higher education system, the developments were characterized into five distinctive eras: 1959–1969, 1969–1996, 1996–2004, 2004–2013, and 2013 and beyond, where each era was marked by a watershed event. Importantly, the analysis based on these distinctive eras also helped to put in place the socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-historical context into understanding the development of higher education in this country over the past six decades. With this understanding of the past and present, we will be better informed to understand and make sense of the future development of the higher education in Malaysia.

The Evolution of Corporatisation of Public Universities in Malaysia

This chapter charts the evolving concept of ‘corporatisation’ of public universities in Malaysia grounded in the political-economic scenarios of the nation over time. All public universities since their establishments have been incorporated as semiautonomous public statutory bodies with the intention of separating public universities from government bureaucracy. However, in the mid-1990s, with the influences of internationalisation and neoliberalism that brought about the concept of New Public Management, public universities in Malaysia were being corporatised in line with the spirit of corporatism and were expected to transform and operate as business organisations. Following the introduction of the National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2007–2020, the concept of corporatisation has once again been rebranded under the banner of autonomy.

Management of Research, Development, and Innovation

Malaysia is a middle-income country with a multiethnic population of 28 million. In 2011, Malaysia was ranked thirtieth in the economies of the world with agross domestic product (GDP) of RM8531 billion, a growth rate of 5.1 percent, and GDP per capita of RM29,404 (Department of Statistics Malaysia 2012). The vision of Malaysia is to become a high-income country with an economy that is inclusive and sustainable and to establish a progressive society that is scientific and innovative (Malaysia 2009). The government recognizes the importance of science and technology in national development. A number of national policies have been outlined since the 1980s to formulate and implement various initiatives and programs to enhance the national capabilities of research, development, and innovation (RDI) (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation 2012).