Change admist continuity: University development in Malaysia

Abstract

Higher education in Malaysia was implanted by the British during the colonial period and had much in common with other colonial universities. Since Independence in 1957, Malaysia has grappled with the problems of developing a university system designted to meet national needs. The number of universities was expanded, the language of instruction changed from English to Bahasa Malaysia and programs favoring the indigenous population, the bumiputras have been instituted. However, the basic academic models remains unaltered and the Malaysian universities continue to struggle with their role as national institutions on the one hand and as part of a world system on the other.