Belt and read: how China is exporting education and influence to Malaysia and other Asean countries
Xiamen University Malaysia, a China-backed university that opened last year, is the model for President Xi Jinping’s vision of exporting education, marrying Beijing’s trade ambitions with Asia’s eager-to-learn millennials
When Nazira Baharom finished her final year of school, she had her pick of Malaysia’s many universities. Hardworking, committed and focused, the 18-year-old student had received high marks and was clear about her goals for higher education.
But something held her back from applying to the traditional institutions. Nazira, who had been studying in an Islamic school for the final five of her school years, had grown weary and generally bored of the local education system. She found the college life described by her elder siblings did little to inspire.
Nazira wanted a change of scene that could help her grow from a shy student to confident graduate – a taste of a culture she had little experience with.
So she applied for a pre-college programme at the first Chinese university in her country – the new Xiamen University Malaysia that opened just last year.
“When I chose this university, my high school classmates were shocked,” Nazira said after classes recently. “I’m a very shy person, so my friends could not imagine I would survive here.”
Today, Nazira’s life goes far beyond mere survival. When she arrived on campus in April, she was “blown away” by what she saw. “It’s so beautiful and big. The middle building, while still under construction, will be all libraries.”
The satellite campus is nearly 3,000km from the mother institute in China, yet only a 10-minute drive from Nazira’s home in Sepang, Malaysia.