Southeast Asia Choice for Studying Abroad

Due to the high level of competition in today’s job market, earning an academic degree is becoming more important. And the fact that the degree earned overseas has the potential to get brighter future career, many universities abroad have a huge attraction for those looking to further their education.

Established in 1964, SIM GE is the largest and one of the oldest private institutions in Singapore. SIM GE offers overseas degree programs through partnerships with world’s renowned universities such as RMIT University, University of London, University at Buffalo and the State University of New York.

Dubbed as the most comprehensive private education and training institution in Singapore, SIM GE offers more than 50 academic programs such as business management, accounting, finance, economics as well as other social fields like psychology and communication.

“The SIM GE’s wide connection with the world’s best universities has given me the opportunity to interact with many students from the rest of world,” Ivonne Rusly, an Indonesian taking undergraduate program in accounting and finance at SIM GE, remarked.

Ivonne, who is in final year of her study, further said that the accounting and finance program offered at SIM GE will earn a bachelor’s degree awarded by the University of London.

Listed among the fastest growing higher education providers by DP Information Group, SIM GE has successfully inculcated in its students a mindset of cultural perspective. The Singapore’s high-quality of living, political stability and safety clean air pollution as well as the country’s modern entertainment, dining places and shopping hub have attracted not only tourists, but also foreign students from all across the globe.

Currently, the school has an enrollment of over 18,000 students from 40 countries worldwide and awards dozens of scholarships each year to deserving new and existing students.

Owing to the institution’s great achievement in implanting world-class higher education, SIM GE has since September 2008 spread its wings by opening a new campus in Ulu Pandan. In addition to having residential complex, the new campus includes sporting and recreational facilities such as tennis and futsal courts, outdoor yoga pad and a dance studio.

SIM GE is also aiming at developing another 56,000 square meters of space by year 2014.

The SIM GE’s excellent reputation has given a significant contribution to Singapore as a world-class overseas study destination. Likewise, the Singapore’s neighboring country Malaysia is also scoring a dazzling success as an alternative to studying in western countries like Australia and the United States.

The establishment of Australian renowned Monash University in Malaysia witnesses how the globalization has borne the fruit of a borderless international education facility.

Invited by the Malaysian government through a partnership with the Sunway Group, Monash University opened its first Malaysia’s campus at Bandar Sunway in Petaling Jaya in 1998 wherein the classes commenced in July, in that year.

The Sunway Campus offers six schools at present; School of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Information Technology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences and School of Science.

With more than 5,000 students representing dozens of nations worldwide enrolled at Monash University in Malaysia, the university which is often referred as the Sunway Campus attracts many Indonesians who seek the best of both worlds value of higher education with affordable tuition fee.

“The Sunway Campus’s international ambience provides an exceptional opportunity for students to develop their international minded attitude while taking programs which are as great as the ones in Monash University, Melbourne,” asserted Richard M., who is currently enrolled at the School of Engineering at Malaysia’s Monash University.

Richard spent the first two years of taking undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, but had to transfer to Monash’s School of Engineering in Malaysia due to financial considerations.

“But I didn’t regret moving here. All of my classes were transferred. And amazingly, the tuition fee and living cost is much cheaper here,” he added.

In line with Richard’s opinion, Melati Adhidamayanti, who has visited countries in the west and Asia for education and research purposes, believes many universities in Southeast Asian region have the quality just as great as the universities in the U.S. and other western countries.

She further said that her most fulfilling and amazing academic experience in life is when he took graduate program in development management at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Manila during 2005-2006.

“The classes that I took were designed with interactive approach while providing us with relevance learning experience. I was embraced by diversity not only from the melting pot society I found in the campus, but no less important, from the group work that trained us to be a better problem solver,” asserted Melati, who earned her master’s degree from AIM through a scholarship from the Asian Development Bank (ABD).

Established in 1968 and situated in the prominent district of Makati of Peninsula Manila, AIM is ranked among the Top 100 business schools in the 2009-2010 edition of the New York-based Aspen Institute.

Whether the destination is Singapore, Malaysia or the Philippine, the objective of studying aboard is to gain good knowledge of the global issues at large aside from honing the skills of thinking independently, creatively and analytically.

Internship program is another feature that attracts students to form networks and gain valuable experience in their respective field.

In addition to the role of English as the medium of instruction, coupled with the increasing globalization, studying in renowned universities in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippine is indeed an affordable, prestigious education.