From Nazira Hasanah Nasaruddin
ASTANA, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- The hosting of the Malaysia-Central Asia Higher Education Forum 2026 (MAHEF2026) and the Study in Malaysia Education Fair serves as a two-pronged strategy in Malaysia's efforts to expand higher education cooperation with Kazakhstan and attract more students from the country to study in Malaysia.
Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) chief executive officer Novie Tajuddin said both platforms use distinct yet complementary approaches. MAHEF2026 focuses on government-to-government (G2G) cooperation, while the Study in Malaysia Education Fair directly engages prospective students.
He said the MAHEF2026 approach involves ministerial-level participation and creates opportunities to address student mobility, including access to Kazakh sponsorship bodies.
"This MAHEF approach is also a way to secure international students. Although it takes a bit more time as it involves G2G engagement and ministerial participation, at the same time we gain flexibility regarding sponsorship bodies because we align on the initiative," he told Bernama here.
Novie said discussions with Kazakh counterparts are paving the way for criteria to be eased to support targeted higher education cooperation between institutions from both countries.
Meanwhile, EMGS regional director Raja Fariz Raja Eyuddin said Kazakh students' interest in Malaysian education has increased significantly, with applications surging from 240 in 2022 to 1,300 this year.
"From 2022 to 2026, student applications from Kazakhstan have increased by over 400 per cent, indicating growing interest in studying in Malaysia.
"Among the factors are that Malaysia offers quality education at an affordable price and is a peaceful, safe country, which appeals to Kazakh students," he said.
He added that EMGS is also leveraging the Malaysian alumni network in Kazakhstan, who act as ambassadors by sharing their experiences and introducing educational opportunities in Malaysia to prospective students.
“Alumni are a crucial component, acting as ambassadors to promote our country to prospective students and their peers in Kazakhstan," he said.
Raja Fariz said the education fair has been held over 15 times in Kazakhstan. It is usually organised twice a year, in spring (March) and autumn (September).
Meanwhile, Alua Aimagambetova, 28, an alumna of Albukhary International University in Kedah from Kazakhstan, described her six-year experience in Malaysia as not only providing her with academic qualifications but also shaping her professional skills and opening career opportunities.
"I gained not only a degree but also professional skills and many friends. My education in Malaysia was a lucky ticket to a big world of opportunities," said the 2022 Bachelor of Business Administration graduate.
Alua, who currently works with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration while pursuing a master's degree in international relations and politics at Maqsut Narikbayev University, said Malaysia's cultural diversity also helped her adapt to people from various backgrounds.
Meanwhile, Zhasmin Khantemir, 20, a Kazakh student currently studying at University College Sedaya International (UCSI), said educational quality, affordability, and safety were key factors in her decision to choose Malaysia.
"The very important criteria to me, as for many students, are first, the quality of education that you get... and another one is the affordability. And the third one is the security and stability of the country. I feel myself, as a young woman living in Malaysia, I feel safe in Kuala Lumpur," she said.
She added that her positive experience prompted her to promote study opportunities in Malaysia to Central Asian students via social media, and she has even introduced her two younger sisters to Malaysian universities.
-- BERNAMA