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Private higher education in Malaysia has seen robust growth since the introduction of the Private Higher Education Institutions Act (1996) (Act 555), which legalized these institutions. To transform Malaysia into a global higher education hub, as first outlined by the National Higher Education Strategic Plan (2007–20), the government has sought to offer a wide range of courses and programmes through private universities and colleges as well as international branch campuses with competitive tuition fees. This paper examines the development of EduCity, an integrated learning hub situated in Iskandar Malaysia in the state of Johor. The idea for an integrated learning hub built around multiple universities was first hatched in 2007, and in 2011 the first institution moved in. In exploring the challenges and underlying issues involved, this paper aims to shed light on the private higher education sector in the country in general.

It is fairly uncommon for a PhD student to conduct a study that looks at PhD education, and this paper discusses the challenges and advantages of my experience as a PhD student in conducting a PhD research about the PhD. This PhD research project was not an action research or self-reflective of my own educational journey. In this paper, I identify the challenges concerning my position as both a PhD student and a researcher exploring the educational processes of the PhD, and illustrate the ways I adopted to overcome these challenges. I also point out that having addressed these challenges; there are advantages due to the concurrent position of being a PhD student and a researcher that contributed to the development of new knowledge in the field of PhD education.

Many of the internationalisation efforts in Malaysia have focused on enhancing collaboration with developed economies and Western systems. This article seeks to fll a gap in the literature by examining six initiatives to internationalise higher education within the Malaysian higher education system through the prism of South-South cooperation. It showcases the ways in which Malaysia participated in such initiatives and illustrates four levels of engagement ranging from government-to-government, institution-to-institution, international organisation-to-government using universities as intermediaries, and regional networks with Malaysian universities playing a signifcant role. Un grand nombre d'efforts d'internationalisation de l'enseignement supérieur en Malaisie s'est concentré sur le développement de collaborations avec les économies développées et les systèmes occidentaux. Cet article cherche à combler une lacune de la littérature en examinant six initiatives visant à internationaliser l'enseignement supérieur au sein du système malaisien grâce à des coopérations sud-sud. Il expose l'engagement de la Malaisie dans de telles initiatives et illustre quatre niveaux d'engagement : intergouvernemental, interinstitutionnel, entre une organisation gouvernementale et un gouvernement en utilisant des universités comme intermédiaires et au sein des réseaux régionaux en donnant un rôle essentiel aux universités malaisiennes.

Academic freedom is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts in academia, but is a fundamental pre-requisite to achieve the purpose of a university in becoming a knowledge and truth-seeking institution in our society. This article specifically examines academic freedom in Malaysian public universities, by first, unpacking the concept of academic freedom as well as the complementary concept of institutional autonomy. Having made clear the definition and concept of academic freedom, the article highlights three major impediments of academic freedom in Malaysian public universities resulting from legislation, lack of institutional autonomy and influence of external agencies. The understanding of these impediments is vital for the future development of public universities to fulfil their purpose as public authorities for knowledge and truth in Malaysia.

This book explores the prospects for higher education development in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Adopting a South-South perspective (from the viewpoint of a developing country), it seeks to promote a deeper understanding of this colourful and highly diverse, yet volatile region. As such, it examines six selected MENA countries that serve as case studies for identifying the gaps and challenges as well as their potentials in terms of higher education development. Based on expert interviews and focus-group discussions with more than 85 individuals across the six countries and complemented by related facts and figures from both international and national documents, it presents an in-depth discussion and analysis of the countries' respective political, security, and economic situations. These serve as preconditions for the cultivation of an environment conducive to facilitating the advancement of higher education. It also provides a critical overview of higher education in these countries, notably in terms of the current national system, legislative framework, accreditation, quality assurance, recognition concerns, and other critical issues that enable and/or constrain the development of their respective higher education sectors, and that of the region, as a whole

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- List of Maps -- List of Tables and Appendixes -- List of Figures -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Prologue -- Contributors -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. Situating Johor -- Section I: Economics -- Maps -- 2. Agriculture in Johor: What's Left? -- 3. Johor's Oil Palm Economy: Past, Present and Future -- 4. Johor's Oil and Gas Sector: The Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex and Its Implications -- 5. The Private Healthcare Sector in Johor: Trends and Prospects -- 6. EduCity, Johor: Its Promise and Challenges -- 7. Tourism in Johor and Its Potential -- Section II: Politics -- Maps -- 8. UMNO and Barisan Nasional in Johor: A Time-Bound Fixed Deposit? -- 9. Electoral Politics and the Malaysian Chinese Association in Johor -- 10. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in Johor: New Party, Big Responsibility -- 11. Parti Amanah Negara in Johor: Birth, Challenges and Prospects -- 12. The Johor Sultanate: Rise or Re-emergence? -- Section III: Social and Environmental Issues -- Maps -- 13. Foreign Workers in Johor: The Dependency Dilemma -- 14. Johor Remains as the Bastion of Kaum Tua -- 15. Johor Bahru's Urban Transformation: Authority and Agency Revisited -- 16. Housing Policy in Johor: Trends and Prospects -- 17. Johor's Forest City Faces Critical Challenges -- 18. The Struggle for Balance: Johor's Environmental Issues, Overlaps and Future -- Conclusion -- 19. Johor: Abode of Development? -- Appendix -- Sources for the Johor Maps -- Index