Doria Abdullah - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Doria Abdullah

Higher Education Research & Development, 2014

The objectives of introducing the Operational Framework for International Student Management are ... more The objectives of introducing the Operational Framework for International Student Management are three-fold:
1. Enhancing current international student management practices of both public and private higher education institutions
2. Strengthening current guidelines issued by the Ministry of Higher Education on international student management i.e. Guidebook on the Management of International Students in Higher Education Institutions (2011)
3. Conforming standards and best practices among public and private higher education institutions in the country

The framework
1. Serves as the “industrial standards” to be adhered to by all Malaysian higher education institutions recruiting international students in the management of their international student population especially in areas such as fee refunds, international students' support services, admission assistance, etc.
2. Protects and supports international students in their educational pursuits in this country by recommending standards and aspects to be considered by higher education institutions in international marketing and promotion, admission and international student management.

The framework is expected to supplement current legal framework in management of higher education institutions, such as the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) and Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555).

The framework is also expected to complement efforts by Education Malaysia Global Services, a private entity owned by the government of Malaysia under MoHE in promotion, marketing and support services for international students in Malaysian higher education institutions.

In spite of the annual increase in the number of internationally mobile students travelling acros... more In spite of the annual increase in the number of internationally mobile students travelling across borders for higher education, a holistic overview on the students’ study and living experiences is lacking. International students encounter various difficulties in adjusting to academic, social and lifestyle challenges faced
throughout their duration of study. As such, the main aim of this study is to develop the “international student experience” conceptual framework capable of facilitating higher education practitioners in designings policies and initiatives to support the
international student population. The context selected for this study is Malaysia as international student recruitment underlines the country’s agenda in internationalising its higher education system. Towards this aim, five policy
documents from four countries well – established in international student recruitment, namely Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia were coded and analysed following conventions outlined under the discourse analysis method. It was found that higher education institutions play central role in international student management, in collaboration with various participants within and outside the institutions. The design of policies significantly impact interpretation and delivery of “international student experience” across higher education systems. This include how each policy statement is written, the inclusion of policy instruments binding the participants to their responsibilities, the level of operation
and tangible sanctions outlined, the legitimation and enforcement of policy statements among the participants, and the values and principles projected to the participants through the policies. As such, the design of policies defining the
“international student experience” in the Malaysian higher education system must take into consideration the overarching principles underlying international student recruitment, targeted international student population, autonomy to higher education institutions, regulated segments, legal enforcement across public and private higher education institutions, empowered network of participants, and flexibility for future
expansion.

P e r f o r m a n c e I n d i c a t o r s a n d t h e D e e p e r F o u n d a t i o n s o f P e r... more P e r f o r m a n c e I n d i c a t o r s a n d t h e D e e p e r F o u n d a t i o n s o f P e r f o r m a n c e

There was an interesting question posed by a delegate in one of the plenary sessions of Going Glo... more There was an interesting question posed by a delegate in one of the plenary sessions of Going Global 2012: ‘Can we summarise ‘‘internationalisation of higher education’’ in one page?’ Internationalisation is a buzzword these days, and it is difficult to separate the ‘international, global and intercultural’ (Knight, 2007) elements from all the core businesses of the
system. Moreover, the ‘flat’ world and the rapid cross-border flow of talents, programmes and providers have made definitions of the concept disputable. Should we even attempt to summarise the phenomenon if it is synonymous with higher education systems these days? Higher education institutions have begun to structure their operations around internationalisation, and are mindful of the complexities, considerable risks and the impact of the phenomenon on higher education. One of the visible activities symbolic to internationalisation is the flow of students across borders, reflecting the major implications of student mobility in
stimulating the growth of international higher education globally. This paper explores student mobility as a means in shaping internationalisation of higher education, with a focus on Malaysia and its efforts in intensifying student mobility in the country.

This article presents a case study of Malaysia’s inroad in internationalising its higher educatio... more This article presents a case study of Malaysia’s
inroad in internationalising its higher education system for
the past three decades and proposes recommendations and
the way forward in internationalisation. Internationalisation
is one of the critical agenda in Malaysia’s higher education
transformation with an end target of becoming an international
hub of higher education excellence by 2020. The
country is no stranger in internationalisation as efforts in
student mobility, academic programmes and international
collaboration have started since the 1980s and 1990s. As
with other higher education systems globally, it was the
private sector that initiated and sustained efforts in internationalisation
of Malaysian higher education. With the
growth in international student enrolment, the country has
established itself as a student hub; however, greater focus
and clarity in direction should be set forward in accelerating
Malaysia’s progress in internationalisation, with
research and development as a potential catalyst. The
article also questions Malaysia’s current standing with
regard to internationalisation and the need in facilitating
higher education institutions to build their capacity in internationalisation,
highlighting the important roles of
individual institutions at both public and private sector that
drive the country’s internationalisation agenda.

This paper uses Tight (High Educ Res Dev 23(4):395–411, 2004; High Educ Res Dev 31(5):723–740, 20... more This paper uses Tight (High Educ Res Dev 23(4):395–411, 2004; High Educ Res Dev 31(5):723–740, 2012; High Educ Res Dev 32(1):136–151, 2013)’s journal analysis and review framework to review a sample of 497 journal articles on researches concerning international students over the past 30 years. It was found that a majority of the articles focus on the students’ in-campus, academic and social experience. Even with different conceptualisation of the terms ‘‘international student’’ and ‘‘international student mobility’’, international students undergo similar challenges throughout their sojourn duration, and much of the responsibilities in managing international students fall on universities and respective faculty members within the institutions. It might seem as if we are going in circles in terms of the issues and concerns in managing international students, but the silver lining out of this observation is the increased ethnical awareness among countries and higher education institutions in hosting and safeguarding the students throughout their international higher education experience, albeit rather slowly. The analysis brings to attention how much have we achieved in internationalisation of higher education in general and international student-related research in particular, and the potential for greater expansion and focus on managing the student population within a comprehensive ‘‘life cycle’’ approach.

There is an increase in the number of students travelling outside of their home country for the p... more There is an increase in the number of students travelling outside of their home country for the purpose of higher education. This suggests a need for the higher education sector to be global provider in knowledge creation and talent development. Internationalisation serves as a challenge and opportunity for the higher education sector to increase their capacity and position themselves better globally, in order to claim a share of the growing international education market. In line with the increase of international student enrolment for the past 5 years, Malaysia has placed internationalization as one of key thrusts in transforming its higher education. To be able to compete with other higher education providers, the Malaysian higher education institutions should place focus in the provision of quality academic programmes, international students' support services as well as international students' social and community engagement. Such focus enables Malaysia to achieve its aim of becoming an international education hub by 2020, with a targeted 200,000 international student enrollment into the country. This paper aims at understanding internationalisation of higher education in Malaysia and provides insights into the Malaysian higher education's response towards the increasing trend of international student mobility.

Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, Jan 1, 2012

In line with the increase of international student enrolment for the past decade, Malaysia has pl... more In line with the increase of international student enrolment for the past decade, Malaysia has placed internationalization as one of key thrusts in transforming its higher education. To be able to compete with other higher education providers, the Malaysian higher education institutions should place focus in the provision of quality academic programmes, international students’ support services as well as international students’ social and community engagement. Such focus enables Malaysia to achieve its aim of becoming an international education hub by 2020, with a targeted 200,000 international student enrollment into the country. This paper attempts to examine the emergence of Malaysia as a provider for international education and seek to provide recommendations towards creating sustainability in its aim as an education hub.

Books by Doria Abdullah

"The book is a compilation of input, ideas and practices from 14 public higher education institut... more "The book is a compilation of input, ideas and practices from 14 public higher education institutions and 9 private higher education institutions that lead to the formulation of
Internationalisation Policy for Higher Education Malaysia. The Executive summary features the gist of the policy and the critical aspects to be focused in internationalisation of Malaysian higher education. "

Higher Education Research & Development, 2014

Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, Jan 1, 2012