A VISIT TO INTI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY & COLLEGES

With over 30 years of educating more than 65,000 graduates until now, INTI International University and Colleges have become one of the most renowned higher education institutes in Malaysia. The Malaysian government plans to promote the country as an edu-tourism destination. Bearing that in mind, the institute recently hosted a delegation of high school principals and school guidance counselors from eight countries on a five-day familiarisation tour, aptly named INTI Fam Tour 2019, which showcased both INTI and Malaysia.

International delegates from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan, and Zambia were taken on a whirlwind tour of INTI's campuses nationwide. We had the chance to experience Malaysia's rich diversity through food, culture and architectural landmarks. Journeying on a road trip to INTI's city campuses in Subang Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, its flagship university in Nilai and its Northern branch campus in the beautiful island of Penang, allowed us to experience the quality education at INTI. In addition, we networked with not only fellow delegates from other countries, but also INTI's faculty members and international students.

The institute's specialty lies in each campus offering a specialised set of skills from the curriculum and teachers, as well as having close ties with the industries that the students will soon be working in. However, what ties them together is the philosophy of sculpting the students into ideal, global citizens. With over 450 local, global and multinational partners simultaneously collaborating with the institute, the students are frequently scouted by the companies, often times receiving employment before graduation. With partner universities in the USA, UK, Australia, China, Italy, and New Zealand, among others, it is very easy for students to experience the education in other reputed universities worldwide, at a much lower cost.

PHOTOS: COURTESY

At the campuses, we, the delegates, participated in different hands-on activities and workshops, facilitated by faculty members to showcase the facilities used by INTI students for academic and extra-curricular purposes. From hosting and directing a talk show in the Mass Communication Labs, learning how to prototype and fabricate items at INTI's FabLab (Fabrication Lab),to unleashing our creativity through a unique Art and Design workshop, we had great fun working together in teams to outdo each other and win prizes at the same time.

"This entire tour has been insightful for both the delegates and us at INTI in understanding the needs of students and parents, when it comes to further studies in a foreign country," shared Michael Chan, Assistant Vice President, International Office, INTI International University & Colleges.  "Graduate employability was a common theme throughout the course of the tour and we were able to demonstrate to the delegates how INTI succeeds in this area."

In between the campus tours and activities, we got a taste of the cornucopia of cultures that make up Malaysia. From being entertained with classical Malay dances to a palate-enticing experience of Malay, Indian, Chinese and other cuisines, the group of delegates, who were mostly first-timers travelling to Malaysia, were awed by the experiences on the tour. We were also taken on a tour of some of Malaysia's famous landmarks, like the KL Tower, KLCC Shopping Centre, Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, and the Putra Mosque, Malaysia's architecturally beautiful mosque located in the heart of Putrajaya, the country's federal administrative capital.

"We are glad to be here, and to see what our students will be experiencing. We met one of our ex-students and she is really happy here," said Susan Rajesh Pothen, the Deputy Vice Principal from the Indian Community School, Salmiya, in Kuwait. "When I return home, I will be telling my students about the affordable fees of INTI's courses and INTI's graduate employability rate, because the future is what our students and parents often look forward to."

 "We definitely see the benefits of organising this tour for the delegates in terms of understanding the different regions and markets' demands for higher education, and furthermore, showcasing Malaysia as an edu-tourism hub with INTI as the preferred education institution," explained Chan. "Malaysia has much to offer in terms of higher education, and the opportunities for international students to gain a global experience here." INTI hopes to continue championing these types of events for delegates from all around the world, to help them gain meaningful insights on the work INTI does to prepare industry-ready graduates. These events will also allow them to have a better perspective of the opportunities that await international students in Malaysia's multicultural and globalised society.