Malaysians Educated In Japan Can Bridge Bilateral, Business Ties – Ambassador

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (Bernama) – Malaysians educated in Japan can serve as important bridges between the two countries while helping Japanese companies expand their engagement across Southeast Asia, said Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Shikata Noriyuki.

He said many Malaysians who had studied in Japan had returned home and established successful careers, including with major Japanese companies operating in Malaysia.

“If they master Japanese, they can be a great bridge between Japan and Malaysia,” he told Bernama at the seventh JAGAM (Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia) Japan Education Fair 2026 here today.

Shikata said the wide range of Japanese educational institutions represented at the fair reflected growing opportunities for Malaysian students, from universities and KOSEN technical colleges to creative institutions specialising in animation and manga.

“We are now talking about looking at each other or co-creation. We need Malaysian talent to come up with new business models,” he said.

He said Japanese companies increasingly required multilingual Malaysian professionals who understood the Japanese language and society, particularly as Malaysia could serve as a hub for Japanese investment in Southeast Asia and beyond.

“This is somewhat different from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. More Japanese companies need Malaysian talent who are multilingual and familiar with Japanese society and language.

“Then, we will be able to create something new and more innovative that could appeal to the rest of Southeast Asia,” he said.

Meanwhile, JAGAM president Gary Tang said Malaysian students’ interest in studying in Japan had diversified significantly since the education fair was first organised seven years ago.

“Previously, they did not have enough information. They thought learning the language was very difficult, and there was not enough awareness of Japanese education. That is why JAGAM started this fair seven years ago,” he said.

Tang said the conventional preference for engineering had shifted towards specialised, skills-based programmes.

“Previously, everybody wanted to go to Japan to study engineering. But now, we can see that 30 to 40 per cent of students who want to study in Japan are looking at technical and vocational colleges.

“They are interested in manga, anime, computer-generated imagery and games. They do not want to follow the normal path because these are professional, skill-based fields,” he said.

Tang, who is also an expert and member of the National TVET Council, said Malaysia was increasingly exploring Japan’s technical and vocational education model.

“The Japanese model is suitable for Malaysia’s needs. We are now seeing a lot of cooperation between Malaysia and Japan,” he said.

He said JAGAM was exploring opportunities with Japanese KOSEN institutions that conduct courses in English, including short-term training and longer programmes lasting two to three years.

Tang said Japanese institutions could also collaborate with Malaysian technical colleges by contributing instructors, expertise, and curricula, while Japanese companies operating in Malaysia could provide employment pathways for graduates.

“We invite them to collaborate with our local technical colleges and contribute their teachers and syllabus. We can also collaborate with Japanese companies, which can hire these graduates for their factories in Malaysia,” he said.

The fair also featured a session by representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia, who briefed attendees on scholarships offered by the Japanese government through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), including available study opportunities and the application process.

The event also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between JAGAM and the University of Tsukuba Malaysia (UTMy) to promote undergraduate study opportunities.

“We will introduce and promote students to study at the University of Tsukuba Malaysia, while talented top students will be offered three special scholarships by the university.

“In return, JAGAM will offer one top student a ticket to Japan for training every year,” Tang said.

Held at Cititel Hotel Mid Valley, the fair was officiated by Shikata, with support from Japan Airlines (JAL) and JASSO (Japan Student Services Organisation).

The event brought together students, families and different Japanese educational institutions to explore study opportunities in Japan.

– BERNAMA