Internationalization: Malaysian
Librarians and expanding roles in
foreign branch campuses
Presented by:
Dayang Zarina Abang Ismail
Transnational Education (TNE)
The challenges of globalization and great demand for quality education
has encouraged the MOHE to collaborate with reputable foreign
universities in United Kingdom and Australia.
> Transnational education – international trade in higher education; aimed
at servicing fee-paying students in the country of residence
 Cost-saving – programs and credit transfer at a reasonable cost,
Unique 3+0 programs to study in Malaysia or 2+1 programs
Foreign Branch Campuses
Foreign Branch Campus
Year Established
Location
Country of Origin
Monash University, Malaysia
1998
Selangor
Australia
Curtin University of
Technology, Sarawak Campus
1999
Sarawak
Australia
University of Nottingham,
Campus
2000
Selangor
United Kingdom
Swinburne University of
Technology (Sarawak
Campus)
2000
Sarawak
Australia
Australian Universities
> Diversity and autonomy are central features of Australian
universities.
> Each university has the freedom to specify its own mission
and purpose, modes of teaching and research, constitution
of the student body and the range and content of
educational programs.
> The wide variety of needs and expectations from employers
and students is reflected in the range of institutional goals
and objectives, staff profiles and the emphasis placed on
particular courses. This plurality of approach is one of the
most important strengths of the Australian system, and one
hard fought for in legislative changes in late 2003.
Swinburne University of Technology
> Swinburne University of Technology has six campuses in
Melbourne, Australia and one is in Malaysia.
> In Australia, it is a public funding university – a public university.
Although in the recent year, all public universities in Australia are
increasingly seeking funds from community
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
> Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak Campus) was established in
2000 as Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology and on gaining university
status in Malaysia changed its name to Swinburne University of Technology
(Sarawak Campus) in June 2004.
> The Branch campus occupies a 16.5 acre site in central Kuching, the state
capital of Sarawak.
> The branch campus university in Sarawak is a joint venture between
Swinburne University of Technology in Australia and the State Government of
Sarawak through two of its Foundations – Yayasan Sarawak and the Sarawak
Higher Education Foundation.
> The academic operations of the campus are integrated with and controlled by
the University in Australia.
Transnational Education (TNE)
> Foreign Branch Campuses in Malaysia are governed by various acts
such as:
– Education Act 1996,
– Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996,
– Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 and the
– MQA Act .
Internationalization: SUTS Information Resources
> Internationalisation in the library : the process of integrating local
and international practice and perspective into resources and
services to suppor the univer’s teaching and research program.
 The challenge is to seek a cadre of Malaysian librarians and
information professionals who can work effectively in international
setting
 The University Library and its staff have an important role to play in
supporting TNE
The role of librarians and its challenges
 Collection Development
 Multitude of surveys and findings
 Staff Training
 English and other languages
 Students attitudes – Australians, Malaysians and international
students
 Cultural & Language
 Accreditation processes
Collection Development
 FBC Libraries need to look into how they can meet the growing
both local and international information needs of both
institution – schools, faculty, students, researchers and visiting
students and scholars
 Acquisition Librarian – help to choose library materials rather
than just acquiring them.

Numerous of library surveys and findings
>
Numerous of library surveys are carried out at Swinburne Library.
>
This is to ensure that the services and facilities are useful to students and staff?
Focus group discussion (twice a semester) SSSC Forum
>
Feedback form (suggestion box)
Library Liaison Program
SES
Library statistics
Library Client Survey (May 2009)
Other library survey
How does the library feedback feed into library planning and strategic goals?
Information gathered from all the feedbacks/surveys is administered under the Student
& Corporate Services. The results are valuable in gaining an understanding of current
and future expectations for the library.
Library Client Survey
> Library Client Survey is administered and analysed independently by
InSync on behalf of the Council of Australian University Librarians
(CAUL). This survey has been used widely in Australia to understand
clients requirements, to benchmark performance and to promote
continuous improvements)
> At SUTS, we participated in this survey May 2009.
> It will be done every two years. Feedback will be gathered from both
staff and students to provide benchmarks for improvement in the
library.
> It was formerly called the Rodski Survey which was first done 2006
> SUTS is benchmarked against other off shore Australian Universities
Accreditation – AUQA, MQA
>
Foreign Branch Campuses Universities here in Malaysia also has to go through
AUQA (Australian Universities Quality Agency )
>
The AUQA audit is an Australian government requirement to ensure that all
Australian self-accrediting higher education institutions i.e. Swinburne University of
Technology, including its international campuses, meet a number of guidelines,
codes of practice and codes of conduct relating to specific aspects of higher
education.
Malaysia’s Qualification Agency (MQA)
>
SUTS was invited to apply for self-accrediting status. Once approved it will provide
the university a self-accredited institutions with greater autonomy.
(Australian universities are all self-accrediting institutions. It means they design and
“accredit or approve” their own courses leading to the different types of awards)
Staff Training
There is the pressure of globalizations and internationalization
that drive change for librarians and information
professionals to internationalize their working
environment:
- Training involves international collaboration and
international exchange of staff
- Limitations – due to finance crunch
- Higher expectations
Other issues to explore
 Malaysian students attitudes vs Australian students
 Australian University Libraries – client centred
approach, vs. Malaysian university libraries
 CAUL in Australia
 Strategic Planning dealing with issues on
internationalization
Way Forward
 Partnership and collaboration – local and
internationally
 Librarians seek to integrate their library activities
Internationalization: Malaysian Librarians and
expanding roles in foreign branch campuses
Dayang Zarina Abang Ismail