malaysiandigest.com
Public And Private Universities – Is The “Product” Any Different?
02 Jun 2018 10:58
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 20 August 2014 08:51
Convocation ceremony in one of the local universities. Pic: www.amu.edu.myBY
and large, university is a higher learning institution that provides
education for the intellectual and moral enlightenment of an individual,
or in its simplest term – it is the transmission of civilization –
whether you agree or not.
Over the past few decades, we have
witnessed the burgeoning of both public and private universities in
Malaysia. Remarkably, the number of government-funded local universities
grew from just a handful in 1980s to more than 20 today, let alone
private universities and colleges. According to UNESCO, Malaysia is
ranked the world’s 11th most preferred study destination.
This
leads us to an inevitable question: Do public universities really
outperform private universities with its grants and funding from the
government? Or are private universities automatically superior to public
universities with its partnership with leading universities worldwide?
To put it simply, which one is better?
Let’s delve deeper and find out more.
Public And Private Universities: A Quick Comparison
In
Malaysia, the most notable difference between public and private
universities is the tuition fee. This is mainly because public
universities receive research grants, funding and direct subsidies from
the government. Take, for example, a Finance degree course in local
public universities only costs around RM9,800 - RM15,000 for 3 years of
studies. While in private universities or colleges, it may cost a lot
more, usually 3-5 times higher.
Some of the public universities in Malaysia.
Pic:sportandstock.blogspot.com
In
the last budget, the government allocated RM600 million in research
grants for the more prominent national public institutions of higher
learning (research universities) namely Universiti Malaya (UM),
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM),
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia
(UPM).
Also, earlier this year, the government said it will
continue to allocate funding for public universities encouraged by the
performance of local academics in research and publishing articles in
international journals.
“We would like to maintain the same
budget. Our research universities are getting better now. We are more
competent now,” said Education Minister II Idris Jusoh at an event last
February.
In addition, some public universities in Malaysia
receive assistance for scholarships, seminar sponsorships, study tours
and research equipment from international agencies, which is certainly
good news for its students and academicians alike.
Private
universities and colleges, on the other hand, usually rely on corporate
investment, alumni and student funding under the Private Higher
Educational Institutions Act 1996 to sustain their operations. Hence, it
is no surprise that the cost of tuition in private institutions is
relatively higher compare to public ones. Among the prominent private
universities in the country include AIMST University, HELP University
College, INTI University College, Monash University – just to name a
new.
Speaking of academic staff, public universities have over 80%
of their teaching staff who are PhD holders while less than 20% of
those in private universities fall under this category. Although some
may argue the fact that PhD graduates may not necessarily be the best
academicians or lecturers, but they are most likely to be better
researchers.
In terms of the entry requirements, there is no
denying that most Malaysians are of the view that it is harder to get
into public universities as they impose strict admissions due to limited
space, though this perception may be true to a certain extent. Speaking
of which, although private universities or colleges have minimum
admission requirements to meet, the requirements are comparatively
lenient compared to public universities.
However,
on the diversity of courses available, most of us would reach a
consensus that private universities offer more choices to aspiring
students as compared with public universities. For instance, some
private universities and colleges offer courses like Urban Planning
& Design, Mobile Computing, Transport Design, Games Technology,
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and so on. These courses are uncommon
or, to be precise, rarely available in public universities.
With
regards to the learning experience, both public and private universities
and colleges have their own strengths. Public and private institutions
of higher learning offer different exposure but similarly engaging and
attractive learning environment from students from more than 150
countries all around the globe.
According to the Institute of
International Education, there was a 26.5% increase of international
students from 50,788 to 69,154 in 2009. It is indeed something
applaudable and worth praising!
Facilities are of utmost
importance for any university. In this regard, public universities are
arguably better than private universities since the former are partially
funded by government. It is thus understandable that the database and
library in public universities are incomparable to those of private
universities. For example, Universiti Malaya (UM) provides library
facilities for the whole campus and the collection comprises of books,
journals, databases, citation indexes and other electronic resources. On
the contrary, library systems offered in some private universities are
not always comprehensive, user-friendly and accessible.
Last but
not least, the university ranking, without much doubt, is oftentimes
used as the barometer to gauge the competitiveness of a university. Both
public and private universities have over the years strived to be the
best among the rest.
Following Are The Top Ranking Malaysian Universities in 2014 (QS Ranking):
Source: beritasemasa.com.my
Employers' Perception On The Marketability Of Graduates
Last Friday,
Malaysian Digest
contacted Ms. Lai Pei Yoong, Human Resource Manager of Consumer
Financial Service (CFS) division from Oversea-Chinese Banking
Corporation (OCBC) Bank, Kuala Lumpur Headquarter.
Pic: teachthebudget.com
“When
it comes to recruitment, the quality of the job applicants, above all
else, is the most important criteria. I strongly believe that both
public and private universities produce highly competent
undergraduates,” she said when being asked on the matter.
Lai
added that there is no bias in the recruitment and selection process
even if the candidates consist of both local and private university
graduates.
Another interview was with Ms. Liew Yen Ming, a Senior
Recruitment Consultant from Agensi Pekerjaan & Perundingcara Bright
Prospect Sdn. Bhd.
“I am of the view that graduates from both
public and private universities are equally skilled and competent. As
long as the applicants fulfill the requirements, we hire them,” said
Liew.
She further mentioned that there is no so-called ‘preferred choice’ between them.
Hence,
from the interviews, we can at least conclude that both public and
private universities graduates have equal employment opportunities in
the workplace.
A Final Word To Aspiring Students
Lectures
and tutorials in any university, regardless of its ranking, are merely a
part of formal education. In fact, a proper education should be more
than just memorizing names and facts in order to pass with flying
colors.
Since it has always been an obsession in our Asian society
to get good grades in any public examinations, here comes the question:
Do you think scoring a string of A’s a good yardstick to one’s future?
Or has it always been your belief or mindset that by entering a
reputable university, you are therefore successful? I’m afraid that is
no longer the case.
Instead, a true and decent education must come
in the form of a self-enrichment process where the students utilize
their knowledge and skills to the improvement and betterment of oneself,
society and the nation as a whole; learning is an on-going process
after all.
In a nutshell, the basic prerequisite of a successful
education is how well-suited is the university to the individual. Thus, a
comprehensive and thorough survey or research is very much needed
before one embarks on a higher educational journey.
