Kuala Lumpur, June 21 (IANS) Malaysian students looking to study abroad have been urged by a minister to consider India as an option.
Malaysia’s Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department S.K. Devamany Saturday also asked Indian students to consider studying in Malaysia, where the cost of higher education is lower than in Europe and the US.

He made the suggestion while opening a two-day India Education Fair at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre here.

Twenty-six colleges and universities from India are participating in the exhibition, The Star newspaper said.

Scholarships and subsidies are also available to students, depending on their academic qualifications.

Devamany said while the fair aimed to have Malaysian students look at study options in India, the Malaysian government also looked forward to have more overseas private colleges build their campuses here.

He suggested “the industry players should be aware of the opportunities that Malaysia has to offer and take advantage of them”.

“Instead of travelling afar to Europe, students from India can come to Malaysia, where the cost of living is lower.

“The same applies to Malaysian students who are looking for alternative education options,” he said.

India offers a wide variety of courses, including engineering, applied science, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry.

Malaysian industrialist C. Vijayakumar said: “An engineering student spends about $20,000 on tuition fees per year to study in Europe.

“But it only costs about US$5,000 to further one’s study in India.”