Malaysian Models for Engineering Education in the United States

Over the past 20 years many Malaysian students have chosen to leave their country and come to the United States for an engineering education. Reasons for this include: (1) insufficient local universities, (2) the need for state-of-the-art knowledge, and (3) a rising standard of living that makes a U.S. education more affordable. This paper discusses how the opportunity for an American engineering education is made available to students in Malaysia. A historical perspective is provided; then, three models—twinning, articulation, and credit transfer—are introduced, along with a discussion of the pros and cons of each. A case study of a twinning program between a U.S. consortium—comprised of the University of Kentucky, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Oklahoma State University—and Metropolitan College of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is presented.