MALAYSIA POSITIONS HIGHER EDUCATION AS KEY DIPLOMATIC BRIDGE - ZAMBRY

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia views higher education as a powerful instrument of diplomacy that strengthens international cooperation and builds long-term trust between nations, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said. 

Delivering his opening remarks at the Diplomat Soirée here today, Zambry said education now transcends national boundaries and plays a crucial role in global engagement.

“On Malaysia's higher education, your presence tonight reflects something important - that education is no longer confined within national borders. It is a shared global enterprise, and diplomacy at its finest is not only conducted in ministries and negotiation rooms, but also in lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, and campuses,” he said.

Also present at the event were Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim, Higher Education Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim, Higher Education director-general Prof Datuk Dr Azlinda Azman, and Polytechnic and Community College Education director-general Dr Shamsuri Abdullah.

Representatives from education agencies included Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) chairman Datuk Ahmad Shalimin Ahmad Shaffie and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran.

Zambry also noted that amid global uncertainties and rapid technological change, education remains a stable platform for cooperation among nations.

“In today's complex world marked by technological disruption, geopolitical shift and global uncertainty, education remains one of the most stable and constructive instruments of cooperation and engagement. Trade agreements may fluctuate, political alignments may evolve but educational relationships endure.

“When a student crosses borders to pursue knowledge, they carry back not only a qualification but friendship, cultural understanding and human connections. Over time, these connections become the invisible architecture of trust between nations,” he added.

He said Malaysia is committed to developing a higher education ecosystem that is inclusive, globally competitive and future-ready, producing graduates who are not only skilled but also ethical and compassionate.

Zambry also outlined the recently launched Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035, describing it as the country’s next strategic step forward.

“The higher education blueprint represents our next strategic leap forward. It focuses on governance reform and greater institutional agility and digital transformation and ethical integration, as well as strengthening the research ecosystem and innovation capacity, and enhancing global mobility and transnational education,” he said.

Malaysia currently hosts students from 160 countries across public universities, international branch campuses and private higher education institutions, offering programmes in English and Arabic within a multicultural environment at the heart of ASEAN, he added.

Highlighting Malaysia’s growing global alumni network, Zambry said many former international students have gone on to become leaders in their respective countries.

The Diplomatic Soirée here today brings together nearly 100 foreign diplomats and strengthens bilateral and multilateral ties and supports Malaysia’s goal to be a regional and global education hub.

-- BERNAMA