KUALA LUMPUR – The Higher Education Ministry has identified 44 course programmes at nine public institutions of higher learning to shorten the duration from four to three years.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this could reduce the loans or tuition fees that students have to bear.
“At the same time, this will give the graduates the opportunity to enter the job market a year earlier,” he said in his speech at the closing of the Jom Masuk U event at Universiti Malaya today.
He said the move was part of a continuous effort by the ministry to update and streamline programmes and courses offered by public universities nationwide.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Khaled said that the shortened study period would only involve public institution programmes and courses that commence this year.
On the ministry’s new initiative to attract students’ interest and allow better access to higher education, he said flexible learning is being offered by 19 public universities for 95 degree courses, which will start with the new 2023/2024 academic session.
He said this is in line with the ministry’s proposal to introduce a hybrid and flexible learning system for students who attend lectures at the university only in the first and final year.
On the Siswa Sulung Keluarga Malaysia Development Programme initiative introduced last year, Khaled said 10,000 B40 students would be fully exempted from tuition fees at all 20 public universities.
“This initiative will have a financial implication of about RM30 million involving all public universities,” he said. – Bernama, June 4, 2023
