THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 JULY 2019
SETARA
Help in making
informed choices
By NGEH CHEE YEN
SINCE the establishment of Malaysia’s first
university in 1962, the higher education
environment in Malaysia has expanded
tremendously.
Based on 2017 statistics provided by the
Education Ministry, there are 20 public
universities in this country, of which five
are research universities and four are
technical universities. In the private sector,
there is a total of 497 institutions: 401
colleges and 96 universities and university
colleges. These numbers do not include the
94 community colleges and 34 polytechnic
schools in the country.
With such a large number of higher
learning institutions established in
Malaysia, the number of students registered
at these institutions do not disappoint.
There are 618,180 students in public
institutions, 524,350 students in private
institutions, 21,486 students in community
colleges and 89,503 students in polytechnic
schools.
Things are looking up for Malaysia in
how it is drawing international students as
well. In May last year, former Higher
Education Ministry secretary-general Tan
Sri Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur said the
country is targeting to enrol 250,000
international students by 2025. She said
that as of last year, there are 170,000
international students from more than 135
countries throughout Asia, Europe and
Africa.
Ensuring quality
With such a large influx of higher
learning students both locally and
internationally in Malaysia, it is crucial that
Find personal fulfilment through lifelong learning
KNOWLEDGE is the currency of the 21st
century economy. To meet the ever-
increasing need for qualified, higher-skilled
workers, the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency (MQA) has introduced the
Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning
(APEL).
APEL widens access to higher education
for adult learners who have rich work
experience but lack academic qualifications.
The Accreditation of Prior Experiential
Learning via Credit Transfer (APEL C)
pathway provides credit transfers for entry
into diploma programmes right up to
doctorates.
APEL C allows the assessment of credits
against matching modules in a programme
of study. Once an APEL C applicant’s
competency level is determined, the credits
can shorten his entire study duration
considerably, saving time and money.
An applicant with a Sijil Pelajaran
Malaysia certification, for example, would
usually only qualify for diploma studies.
However, through APEL C and enough work
experience, it is possible to pursue a
bachelor’s degree directly.
Management and Science University
(MSU) offers breakthrough ways for working
adults wishing to further their studies. A
wide range of programmes are offered while
still keeping the student’s convenience as
well as their educational and professional
With such a large influx of
higher learning students both
locally and internationally
in Malaysia, it is crucial that
universities in Malaysia are
on a par with international
standards to provide quality
education to all students.
universities in Malaysia are on a par with
international standards to provide quality
education to all students.
Therefore, the Rating for Higher
Education Institutions in Malaysia (Setara)
were introduced in 2007 to evaluate and
monitor the quality and achievements of
universities and university colleges in
Malaysia.
In 2017, the fifth edition of the rating was
released. Seventy-one institutions were
evaluated, with eight institutions rated 6
Star: Outstanding, 21 institutions rated 5
Star: Excellent, 29 institutions rated 4 Star:
Very Good, 12 institutions rated 3 Star:
Good and one institution rated 2 Star:
Satisfactory.
It was noted that not all universities in
Malaysia participated in the 2017 rating,
which lets many institutions operate
regardless of the local quality standard.
Because of this, there is the probability of
students losing out both on their education
and money paid if they enrol in a
university that has not been evaluated or
MSU offers a wide range of programmes while still keeping the student’s convenience as
well as their educational and professional backgrounds in mind.
backgrounds in mind.
Lifelong learners from all walks of life
may access MSU’s range of undergraduate as
well as postgraduate programmes and
choose from a variety of study modes that
best fit their situations – whether to attend
classes on weekdays, weekends, in the
The Government has made it mandatory for all private universities to be rated under
MyQuest and Setara, which will help students make better choices for their tertiary
education.
recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency (MQA).
Therefore, in December last year, Deputy
Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said the
ministry will make it mandatory for all
private universities to undergo future
editions of Malaysian Quality Evaluation
System for Private Colleges (MyQuest) and
Setara.
With this new policy in place, students
and parents will be provided with a
comprehensive rating for all universities.
In addition, this decision acts to prompt
universities to strive for improvement in
the education industry, while also upping
their standards to stay on top of the
competition.
evenings, or virtual learning via video
conferences supported by online discussions.
Technology-driven MSU is steeped in the
cultures of research, innovation and social
entrepreneurship. MSU comprises the
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Faculty
of Business Management and Professional
Incorporating research
methodology
Knowing how an institution is rated is also
important, as it defines the substance and
credibility of a certain research or rating
procedure.
With the latest Setara procedures,
institutions are divided into three categories
– mature universities with at least 15 years
of establishment, emerging universities with
less than 15 years of establishment and
university colleges – as opposed to previous
editions where there are only two categories;
public and private institutions.
> TURN TO PAGE 2
Lifelong learners from
all walks of life may
access MSU’s range of
undergraduate as well as
postgraduate programmes
and choose from a variety
of study modes that best fit
their situations.
Studies, Faculty of Information Sciences and
Engineering, International Medical School,
School of Pharmacy, School of Education and
Social Sciences, School of Hospitality and
Creative Arts, School of Graduate Studies
and Graduate School of Management.
Lifelong learning is vital for everybody,
not just the insatiably curious. Make lifelong
learning a part of yourself, advance in your
professional life and gain immense personal
fulfilment.
n For a full range of and more information
on the flexible programmes offered at MSU,
call 03-5521 6868, email enquiry@msu.edu.
my or visit www.msu.edu.my
2 Setara THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 JULY 2019

Do stars have substance?

> FROM PAGE 1
The rating instrument is based on a seven-
step methodology that takes into account
national and international benchmarks,
stakeholder engagement, pilot runs, data
verification and sensitivity and validity
analysis. The criteria are divided into four
main categories: general (institutional
profiles), teaching and learning, research
capacity, and services and income
generation.
Each category carries a different
weightage depending on the age of the
institution, as shown in Table 1. Table 2 is a
breakdown of the judging criteria.
Go with recognised names
Starting at the top
With efforts by the Government to unify
the standards of education and initiatives The Setara rankings released in 2017 institutions with 5 Star: Excellent status.
by institutions to ensure their overall recognised eight mature universities with Here is the list of Malaysia’s top
education standards and services are 6 Star: Outstanding status and 21 universities.
excellent, parents and students should
not slack on researching which one to
enrol in. 6 Star: Outstanding
This is because every university has its
pros, cons and niche specialisations that International Medical University Universiti Putra Malaysia
feed into different fields. Besides that, it is Monash University Malaysia Universiti Sains Malaysia
crucial for these universities to be
accredited by the MQA and respective Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
boards of practice should the student University of Malaya Universiti Teknologi Petronas
want to procure a job in the future.

Instrument Category
5 Star: Excellent
Mature university Emerging university University college
Curtin University Sarawak Campus Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
(≥15 years) (<15 years)
Swinburne University of Technology Universiti Teknologi Mara
General 40% 40% 40% Sarawak Campus
Teaching and learning 30% 40% 50%
University of Nottingham Malaysia Universiti Tenaga Nasional
Research 20% 15% 5%
International Islamic University Malaysia Universiti Utara Malaysia
Services 10% 5% 5%
Universiti Malaysia Perlis Taylor’s University
Table 1 Asia Pacific University of Technology and Universiti Malaysia Pahang
Innovation
General: Teaching and Research Services and income
International Centre for Education in Islamic Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Institutional profiles learning capacity generation Finance
- Student quality and - Capacity of academic - Critical mass of - Income from
Management and Science University Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia
diversity staff researchers commercialisation
- Lecturer capability - Student satisfaction on - Research income of ideas Sunway University Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
- Academic staff teaching and facilities - Quantity of - University social
recognition - Quality of graduates publications responsibility and UCSI University Lincoln University College
- Quality management - Internalisation of - Quality of knowledge transfer Kolej Universiti Sains Perubatan Cyberjaya
system academic programmes publications partnerships
- Financial stability - Programme recognition - Education and Legend:
- Institutional training programmes
reputation - Other sources of Mature universities Emerging universities University colleges
income
Table 2
THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 JULY 2019 Setara 3

A university by the
WHEN Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR) was founded in
2002, it aimed to be a premier
university aspiring to achieve

people, for the people

excellence in the advancement
and dissemination of knowledge
and expertise and the holistic
development of its students.
In 2017, UTAR, as a then
15-year-old university, was
awarded 5-Star: Excellent rating
under the “Emerging University”
category under the Rating for
Higher Education Institutions in
Malaysia (Setara), signifying its
excellence in the areas of
teaching and learning, research
and development (R&D), social
responsibility and knowledge
transfer. In the same year, UTAR
was awarded self-accreditation
status by the Malaysian
Qualifications Agency. The not-
for-profit private institution of
higher learning’s social
responsibility initiatives also
earned it the CSR Excellence
Award at the Sin Chew Business
Excellence Award 2017 under
the Corporate Social
Responsibility category.
Teach and research
excellence
Among the feathers which
UTAR added in its cap included
being ranked 501-600 in the
Times Higher Education (THE)
World University Rankings 2019
and 111-120 in the THE Asia-
Pacific University Rankings
2019. It is also ranked 188th in
the QS Asian University
Rankings 2019.
UTAR prides itself as a higher
learning institution which has
produced over 61,000 graduates
in various fields. With a high responsibility projects and initiatives Village Community Project, Orang education, Chinese studies, creative
employability rate of between cover a diverse spectrum of Asli Community Project, Langkawi industries, digital animation,
95% and 97% six months after activities, rooted in its core values Project and many more. multimedia and design, engineering
graduation, UTAR graduates are and reflected in its voluntary UTAR is one of the fastest growing and built environment, information
highly sought after for their services in support of the people and private higher education institutions and communication technology, life
competence and capability. the community. Activities range in the country since its inception in and physical sciences, and medicine
UTAR’s programmes are from consultation, training, 2002. From only 411 students, the and health sciences.
widely recognised by local and conferences, talks and seminars to university now has about 24,000 UTAR’s Open Day will be held
international professional voluntary community services in students in its campuses in Kampar, this Saturday and Sunday and on
bodies, including the Board of New Villages and rural areas, health Perak and Bandar Sungai Long, Aug 24 and 25 at its Sungai Long
Engineers Malaysia, Association campaigns, gotong royong, free Selangor. UTAR has graduated over campus and Kampar campus. UTAR
of Chartered Certified health services, awareness 61,000 students since its inaugural will also extend its counselling
Accountants, Chartered Institute programmes, financial aid and convocation in 2005. The university hours at both campuses from 9am
of Building, Board of Architects scholarships, leadership and youth currently offers more than 110 to 5pm (daily, except public
Malaysia, Royal Institution of camps and teaching and learning programmes in the fields of holidays).
Chartered Surveyors, Society of support. accounting, business, finance and
Actuaries and others. Another UTAR has reached out to various economics, actuarial science, n For more information, call
step to ensure the quality of communities in need across the mathematics and process 05-468 8888 (Kampar campus),
education was the appointment country by organising purposeful management, agriculture and food 03- 9086 0288 (Sungai Long
of prominent faculty members projects such as the UTAR New science, arts, social sciences and campus) or visit www.utar.edu.my
from educational institutions
worldwide as external
examiners to ensure impartiality
in the evaluation of academic
standards and benchmarking of
programmes.
Giving back to the
community
A university founded with the
bedrock principle of “by the
people, for the people”, UTAR is a
higher learning institution with
the community’s interests at
heart. The university’s social

Abode of
your dreams
AFTER receiving your SPM results, decide if you want to live on
it is now time for you to enrol in or off campus. Both choices
university. However, not everyone have their pros and cons in
is lucky enough to have a home
located near their university of > TURN TO PAGE 4
choice, so before your classes
commence, do some house-
hunting.
Choosing the wrong place to
live can affect your quality of life,
including your studies and mental
health, so it’s important to assess
your accommodation options
carefully.

Make a list
House-hunting may sound
overwhelming and time-
consuming with so many details
to look out for, but it can be
made easy with a checklist:
l On
campus or
off campus
First and
foremost, you
have to
4 Setara
AS early as 2020, 22% of Malaysia’s 3D (dirty,
dangerous and difficult) jobs could be
automated.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, often
called Industry 4.0, will see the increase of
intelligent systems that can work longer
hours than the humans they replace. Yet the
challenge for Malaysia is not the lack of jobs,
but lack of skills necessary for jobs of the
future. Thus, universities play an important
role in nurturing the high-skill talent the
country needs for sustainable economic
growth.
Prof Mahendhiran Nair, vice-president of
research and development at Monash
University Malaysia and chief executive
officer of Monash Malaysia R&D Sdn Bhd,
shared the following insights in his keynote
presentation at the Finance Accreditation
Agency’s Institute of Higher Learning Forum
in Kuala Lumpur.
The role of universities in the
new economy
Universities need to adjust to global
changes by “updating their programmes to
ensure that next-generation talent meets the
needs of firms of the future.”
Prof Mahendhiran observed that in many
pacesetting countries, universities are the
Preparing for IR4.0
key driver of development. These
universities drive development by
partnering with industry and other
stakeholders in the country.
“Universities are not only suppliers of
talent for the workforce but are at the
forefront of solving problems for industry
and the community,” he added. A university
must become a “one-stop” knowledge centre
for firms, industry associations, the
Government and community organisations.
“Perhaps this is what educational
institutions should be nurturing amongst
future graduates. Give them the context,
expose them to the tools of inquiry that
enable them to solve problems and create
new systems to improve the socioeconomic
wellbeing of people around the globe,” he
said.
What skills can universities nurture to
prepare graduates for the new economy?
Prof Mahendhiran described the creative
worker as having these 10 skills:
l Critical thinking – To challenge the
norm, find alternative ways of doing things,
and work under constraints that lead to
more efficient solutions
l Sound ICT literacy – Not only know-
how, but also skills to analyse the strengths
and weaknesses of existing systems
l Good technical skills – To operate
across multiple systems and diverse
industrial sectors
l Communication skills – To articulate
creative ideas clearly and persuasively
l Sound multidisciplinary/
interdisciplinary knowledge – To have
depth within a discipline and a breadth of
knowledge in other disciplines
l Learnability – Ability to pick up new
skills quickly
l Strong power of association – To
combine different ideas and create value
through innovation (recombinant
innovation).
l Opportunities for experimentation –
Ability to try different things and
troubleshoot current practices (fostering a
culture of risk-taking)
l Leadership skills – To be a dynamic
leader who is a “purpose maximiser” not a
“profit maximiser”
l Fostering problem-solving and
observation skills
The role of universities is not merely to
usher graduates into current jobs but
develop employees of the future and enable
some of them to power next generation
industries.
Prof Mahendhiran cited examples of job
areas that may grow in demand: market
Choose your options wisely
> FROM PAGE 3
aspects such as pricing, location, privacy,
opportunities to make new friends,
activities and rules and regulations. Most
universities recommend living on campus
for your first year at university, as it
provides you with more opportunities to
meet new friends and familiarise yourself
with the university’s surroundings before
you move out in your second year.
l Location – Sometimes, paying a little
more for a place in a better location can go
a long way. If your place is near the
university, you will not only save on
transportation, but also on sleep and time.
A quick commute to class, the college
library or group meetings can provide some
flexibility to schedule in additional study
time or social gatherings.
l Price – Budget is a major factor for
most students. When browsing rooms,
make sure you have your budget set and
ask about extra and hidden costs. Besides
allocating money for rent, you will need to
know if the money you fork out includes
charges for Wi-Fi, utilities and
maintenance, which can actually set you
back a few hundred ringgit if you aren’t
careful.
l Roommates and housemates –
Disrespectful housemates who have no
qualms about noise or cleanliness should
disqualify the location, no matter how great
THE STAR, TUESDAY 30 JULY 2019
The Fourth Industrial
Revolution, often called
Industry 4.0, will see the
increase of intelligent systems
that can work longer hours
than the humans they replace.
Yet the challenge for Malaysia
is not the lack of jobs, but lack
of skills necessary for jobs of
the future.
analytics, AI design, IoT engineering, game
and app development, robotics and drones,
environmental science and precision
farming.
“We may not have control over the
technology revolution,” he said, “So we
should focus on what we can do to support
students and professionals alike by
nurturing, upskilling and preparing them to
be more agile in the changing economic
landscape.”
n Monash University was placed 58th in
the QS World University Rankings 2020.
For more information on programmes
available at Monash University Malaysia,
visit www.monash.edu.my
everything else seems to be. Last January,
there was an uproar in the news because of
a nightmare housemate who left her room
full of cockroaches, dog faeces and rubbish
for her two housemates to find and deal
with. Where possible, try to meet up with
potential housemates and have a thorough
discussion about each other’s expectations
before deciding if they are a good fit for you.
l Contracts and rules – Read through
the fine print of your housing contract
before signing with a landlord or the
university administration. Some things to
look out for are contract duration, contract
cancellations, deposits and penalties, house
rules and extra or hidden costs.
l Trust your gut – Regardless of
everything else, safety should still be your
main priority. If you feel uneasy or unsafe
in the area when viewing your potential
house, chances are your gut is right. Follow
your instincts when choosing your place,
even if it’s feelings of discomfort towards a
potential housemate or landlord.
If you still feel unsure after checking off
this list, ask for opinions from your parents,
seniors, lecturers or university staff.
Even if you do happen to make a mistake
in choosing a place, fret not. Learn about
your needs and wants from this experience.
Know that you are allowed to move out to
another place if you deem the current place
unliveable. Good luck!