HAW.International information trip: IB Hochschule President explores potentials in Malaysia and Indonesia

IB Hochschule für Gesundheit und Soziales is taking part in the HAW.International higher-education policy information trip taking place from 25 February to 2 March 2024 in Malaysia and Indonesia. The invitation to this significant trip was sent to the leaderships of Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) as part of the HAW initiative. At the DAAD trip, 40-50 representatives of universities from both countries meet.

There are many good reasons for the choice of destinations Indonesia and Malaysia. The German federal government's Indo-Pacific Strategy emphasises the importance of cooperation and exchange with the Southeast Asian region. Indonesia, as the largest country in ASEAN, and Malaysia, with the largest English-language higher education system in ASEAN, are considered important partners of Germany in the region.

Indonesia, with about 280 million people, has pursued a new higher education strategy since 2020 that envisages stronger alignment with the requirements of work and professional practice. Promoting practical experience, internationalisation and the growing offer of English-language programmes are the focus.

Malaysia has invested considerably in expanding its higher education system since the 1990s. Today it has internationally competitive universities with high quality standards. The practical orientation of universities to the needs of the labour market and cooperation with industry play a decisive role in Malaysian higher education development.

During the trip, the President of IB Hochschule will visit institutions in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to explore opportunities for intensifying internationalisation for German HAW. Due to their practice-oriented approach, German HAW enjoy an excellent reputation in both countries, opening promising perspectives for future exchange programmes and cooperations.

Prof. Dr. Azlinda Azman, Director General for Higher Education, has the goal of internationalising higher education in Malaysia. Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., DIC., Ph.D, Director General for Higher Education, presented Indonesia's goals for strengthening international exchange for Indonesian students with Germany.

IB Hochschule sees this trip as an outstanding opportunity to strengthen its internationalisation efforts and looks forward to the valuable experiences and insights resulting from it. On the programme are matchmaking sessions with various state and private universities. There is great interest in the areas of health, Digital Health/AI and psychology. The next stop is Japan together with "Smart Living & Health" of the Gesundheitscampus at ukb.