The Future of Higher

Education Learning
Transforming Higher Education for Balanced
Excellence

Siti Hamisah Tapsir

Deputy Director General of Higher Education
Department of Higher Education

Ministry of Education Malaysia

Survival of Universities
1.

In 50 years, there will be only 10

institutions in the world delivering
higher education and Udacity has a
shot being one of them
Sebastian Thrun, Stanford Uni

2. The End of College University of

Everywhere Kevin Carey

Advent of technologies
High cost of operating a university
High tuition fees

3. Mass bankruptcies within two decades?

21st CENTURY CHALLENGES TO EDUCATION

GLOBAL
ECONOMIC CRISIS

ACCELERATING
PACE OF
CHANGE

We need to cut overhead costs

Digital age; Information overload,

We need to reduce central

administrative costs while
increasing number of services

Staff need to be efficient and effective

We need to increase the quality

of service provided
We need to increase employee
productivity despite the lack of
new posts
We need to retool in order to
retain staff that understands and
can cope in the times of
increasing market pressures
We need to ensure staff undergo
multitasking

COMPETITION
GLOBAL
WITH ADVENT OF GLOBALIZATION
World is now borderless
We need to create track record
We need branding and positioning
2

EXPECTATIONS OF MODERN UNIVERSITIES

Expectations of Modern Universities
Goinginback
to basics:
the New
Economy : People-led solutions

Before we decide what kind of

university we want, we must
decide what kind of society to
build.
The turn-key
to transform the
nation is

education

Marco Antonio Dias (Brazil) Director,

Division of Higher Education, UNESCO,
Quoted in
The University: Which Way do We Go?,
UNESCO Sources, No. 85, December 1996

Future of HE Learning
Change in Approach?
Student-centred learning
Personalised to need of individual
Graphs vs visual

It takes the whole

village to
educate a child
African Saying

Lecturers as facilitators

Just in Time learning,

4 4

Delivery of Learning in Education

Change in Delivery?
E-mail,
Usenet,
chats,
discussion
forums, blogs,
assessment
software,
e-portfolios

Virtual learning/online (distance, free

learning, MOOCS)

Class room (web based, computer

assisted instruction, tech enhanced
learning)

Blended learning

Internet of Things Internet of Everything

Big Data

Internet-connected ecosystem

19
6

IMPACT : Quality Assurance

COLLOBORATIVE
PROGRAMS

Cross Border Higher Education

Twinning, franchise, joint-award,
double degree

BADGES

VALUES

POLICY

Industry Demand
Degree Awarding
Ethics expectations
Culture expectation,
Religion expectation
Talents development
Regulatory
7

The Future of Higher

Education Learning in
Malaysia

7th April 2015

http:www.moe.gov.my/v/heblueprint

The Malaysian Higher Education

system needs to evolve, both in
response to global trends as well as
in preparation for further disruptions.
To that end, the Malaysia Education
Blueprint (Higher Education)s 10
Big Ideas will generate major shifts
in the way the system operates

The Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education)

will be centered on 10 Big Ideas
Table of contents

Introductory
chapters

2015-2025
(HIGHER EDUCATION)

ALL
MALAYSIANS!!

14 chapter writing teams

20 lead authors
42 writing team members

Big Idea
chapters

Final
Sections

CONFIDENTIAL
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

Introduction, Philosophy and

Approach
Current State of Higher Education
System and PSPTN Review
Vision and Aspirations
Big Idea 1: Holistic, Entrepreneurial
and Balanced Graduates
Big Idea 2: Higher Learning Talent
Excellence
Big Idea 3: Nation of Lifelong
Learners
Big Idea 4: Quality TVET Graduates
Big Idea 5: Empowered Governance
Big Idea 6: Financial Sustainability
Big Idea 7: Innovation Ecosystem
Big Idea 8: Transformed HE Delivery
Big Idea 9: Global Prominence
Big Idea 10: Globalized Online
Learning

Stakeholder
Outcomes

Enablers to
improve
outcomes

Conclusion
Appendices and glossary
10

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

The Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education) will

generate major shifts in the way we operate
a

FROM.

TO
Job

Job seekers
Focus on university

PRELIMINARY

creators and balanced citizens with

entrepreneurial mindset

education

Academic and TVET pathways

equally valued and cultivated

Focus on inputs...

... Focus on outcomes

Highly centralised

... A model of earned

institutions

Reliance on government
resources

All stakeholders have shared

responsibility for education resources

Mass production delivery

Technology-enabled innovations
to deliver and tailor education for all students

model
Separation of

institutions

private and public

Harmonization
institutions

autonomy for

of higher learning
11

SYSTEM ASPIRATIONS

ACCESS ASPIRATIONS
PRELIMINARY

Current

36%
48%
4%
500K

Tertiary
education
enrolment

Total Higher Education

enrolment rate
Masters and PhD
enrolment rate
places added over last
10 years across IPTA,
IPTS, Poly and KK

2025 aspiration

53%
70%
8%
1.1M

Tertiary
education
enrolment1

Total Higher Education

enrolment rate1
Masters and PhD
enrolment rate
new places by 2025
(mainly TVET, IPTS,
online learning)

1 Enrolment rates: Percentage of relevant 5-year age group (18-22 yr olds) enrolled; 2025 aspirations assume population growth of 1.4% p.a. (same rate
as 18-22 yr olds for 2009-12); 2025 enrolment rate aspirations will make Malaysia comparable to top ASEAN countries
12

Summary of the 10 Shifts

Shift 3: Nation of Lifelong Learners
Key
question

Key
changes

Objective,
Strategies,
and
Selected
Initiatives

PRELIMINARY

How can lifelong learning be made more integral to Malaysias culture?

Strategies and initiatives are consistent with and are a continuation of the
Blueprint on Enculturation of Lifelong Learning for Malaysia (2011-2020).
No major changes in strategic direction

Objective

Strategies

Selected initiatives

Ensure lifelong learning

is a part of culture
through a high quality,
well-coordinated and
respected lifelong
learning system

Upgrade mechanisms and

infrastructure to facilitate lifelong
learning
Enhance public awareness and
involvement in lifelong learning
Provide adequate financial support
to ensure access
Ensure quality assurance of lifelong
learning programmes

Centrally co-ordinate LLL implementation to

remove duplication and provide a central
portal to access information
Launch dedicated effort to lift enculturation,
e.g., MyCC loyalty programme, 1Family
Multiple Skills Programme
Ensure clear, accredited qualification
pathways for lifelong learning, including a
credit bank system

Many innovative Life long learning programmes are also provided

by Polytechnics and Community Colleges
13

Summary of the 10 Shifts

Shift 9: Globalised Online Learning
Key
question

Key
changes

Objective,
Strategies,
and
Selected
Initiatives

PRELIMINARY

How can Malaysia better take advantage of technology to improve quality of

education and widen access to education?

Establish Malaysian national e-learning center as a central support for

sharable content creation and best practices, particularly MOOCs
Establish infrastructure to support online learning at scale

Objective

Strategies

Selected initiatives

Transform and diversify

learning and teaching
experiences, as well as
increase access to
education through
innovative practices
and open online
education

Improve support systems for

globalised online learning
Establish administrative structure for
governance and policy on online
learning
Increase flexibility and acceptance
of globalised online learning

Establish the infrastructure to deliver online

learning at scale
Establish the Malaysian national e-learning
center to support shareable content
creation, establish a national platform and
build partnerships
Establish credit transfer mechanisms for
students completing global online learning
courses
Improve programmes for academic staff to
utilise the new pedagogical models enabled
by online learning (e.g., blended learning)
Launch promotional initiatives to achieve a
significant lift in uptake of global online
learning, such as MOOCs

14

The Blueprint will address all the challenges and concerns

identified by stakeholders
Innovation
Ecosystem:
PPRN, AIN,
CREST

Holistic,
Entrepreneurial
& Balanced
Graduates:
Mata Pelajaran
Umum, YSS,
Entrepreneurial
and experiential
education

Empowered
Governance

Holistic,
Entrepreneurial &
Balanced
Graduates

Minimal focus on
unity and values

Graduates lack
communication
skills

Insufficient R&D
outputs

Challenges facing
higher education

Graduates lack
21st Century
Skills

PRELIMINARY

Challenges and concerns

Shifts that address challenges
and concerns

Poor
performance on
rankings

Lack of industryacademia
collaboration

Lack of financial
sustainability

Higher Learning
Talent
Excellence,
Innovation Ecosystem, Global
Prominence
Quality TVET
Graduates,
Innovation
Ecosystem

Financial
Sustainability
HLIs lack
autonomy

Low return on
investment
Lack of access to Higher
Education, insufficient
support for EFA and ESD
(Education for All and
Education for Sustainable
Development)

Globalised
Online Learning,
Nation of Lifelong Learners

15

Liberalization in 2015
The rise of Asia is unstoppable and the
21st century is the Asian Century.
Tomorrows economy, education and
skill, commerce, regional security and
culture is all about Asia.

Are we preparing
our students to
face the new
challenges upon
liberalization

Upon liberalization of ASEAN economic

community, we are no longer preparing
our students for the local market but
also the ASEAN market.
Professional mobility
1616

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