Recent debates on education placement justice and the way forward in the access for quality higher education have engulfed the strategic discussions on what is best for recognition of talents and the right methodologies in ensuring that local human capital is consistently appreciated and recognised, while advancing global recognition in parallel.

It highlights a core dilemma for Malaysian higher education: How do we embrace global standards and the sheer competition; attracting the best students and talents from around the world, while never turning our backs on outstanding local students?

Our local talents have always been our greatest assets, and this has been proven over the decades in the consistently high-performing students who have excelled in their lifelong quests to shape their future and the future of the nation.

These feats portray that Malaysian youths are achieving at the highest level with their dedication and grit, far more than there are places in certain programmes in local public universities. It is a testament to the talent we have locally, but also a sign that our top public universities face an admissions crunch.

In this context, every offer and rejection are scrutinised, and the balance between meritocracy, capacity, and opportunity becomes a delicate one, especially with limited spaces and resources.

A delicate balance of internationalisation

Malaysia is hardly alone in grappling with the balance between inclusive global talent and local educational rights. Universities worldwide aspire to global excellence, of which the indicators are often measured by international rankings and visibility which come from engaging top minds that transcend borders.

At the same time, public universities have always been mandated to serve their own people, indicating the priorities needed to serve national purposes.

In Universiti Malaya, we have not wavered from this, in our national duty since our inception, to serve and lead the nation in producing human capital and leaders and in advancing knowledge.

This is also being outlined and reaffirmed by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, stating that “Public universities exist, first and foremost, to serve the children of Malaysia,” adding that there will be no compromise on the quotas allocated for local students even as internationalisation is pursued.

The government’s policy has always been that international enrolment does not affect the intake of local students. In other words, any foreign student admitted should be in addition to and in a complementary manner, from the local cohort, not taking a seat from a deserving local Malaysian.

Admissions via the central Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) system are essentially for Malaysians, and international students generally enter through separate international channels or through collaborations that are not counted against UPU spots. Datuk Seri Zambry has explicitly stated that public universities are “not permitted to reduce local quotas to accommodate foreign students for profit”.

The surge in foreign enrolments largely comes from an expanding spectrum of postgraduate programmes but not at the expense of the subsidised places for local undergraduates.

This approach mirrors policies implemented elsewhere. The University of California (UC), for instance, enacted a cap on foreign undergraduates and pledged that foreign students would be admitted “only in addition to, and never in place of”, local students.

This underscores a key principle: internationalisation strategies and expansion should never come at the cost of local opportunity. The challenge is making that principle a perceived reality, backed by data and fair processes.

Top global universities navigate student mix

Every leading university in the world today faces the dual mandate of nurturing domestic talent and welcoming global talent, a reality that is undeniable.

Different models of balancing internationalisation needs and local preservation reflect similar challenges and solution-making processes. In NUS, as a highly international campus, 36 per cent of its student body are foreign nationals concentrated mainly at the postgraduate level and 65 per cent of its faculty are internationals.

This global drive has advanced NUS’s research output and reputation, but does not come at the expense of its local national needs. Singapore ensures locals remain a majority at undergraduate level, capping the proportion at 17 per cent.

In other words, NUS achieved global eminence, all while keeping roughly four in five undergrads Singaporean.

Universitas Indonesia (UI), Indonesia’s premier university, also admits international students, who make up about 18 per cent of its enrolment, including many postgraduates, and offering international programmes in English and has dual-degree tie-ups, and like Malaysia, it keeps the primary bachelor programmes mainly for locals. The vast majority of its 40,000 students are Indonesians, fulfilling its national mission and obligation to its people first.

As Thailand’s top university, Chulalongkorn University has an overwhelmingly local student body. The vast majority of its 36,000 students are Thai, and Chulalongkorn has tried to diversify by establishing more international programmes and exchange partnerships, but the baseline is that Thai students enjoy almost all the undergraduate seats.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), one of the top public universities in the world, is also practising a balanced system.

Its international students are only 7–8 per cent of total undergrads, where this policy came after concerns that too many spots were going to higher-paying foreign students.

By capping their numbers, UCLA assures that at least 82 per cent of freshman seats go to local students, keeping faith with the public.

Even with this cap in place, UCLA maintains its global prestige and still attracts top international scholars in graduate and research roles.

This example portrays a formal way to set ratios: guarantee the majority share of opportunities to locals, while still leaving room to enrich the campus with diverse international talents with a defined limit.

All these models reflect the similar strategic approach to ensure local talents are prioritised, developed and appreciated. All these top universities have modest international undergrad numbers, usually well below 25 per cent, to ensure local students are not pushed out or at a disadvantage.

Most importantly, where international students are brought in, it is often through separate pathways independent of local quotas, via distinct international programme quotas, twinning arrangements, or graduate-level recruitment, among others, rather than occupying the seats usually reserved for locals.

We in UM do the same.

The underlying principle is the same: the presence of international students is strategically structured so as not to impact or reduce local undergraduate intake.

Done right, this yields a vital balanced and mutually synergised outcome; a campus enriched by global talent and expertise, and a student body that reflects and serves the home country in advancing local talents and empowering local opportunities and enhancing social mobility and knowledge advancement with nation building and recognition of home talents being the priority.

Why a global campus matters and its benefits to locals

One might ask why Malaysian universities are bringing in international students or faculty especially if local demand is high. Local talents have always been prioritised, especially at the undergraduate level, but this is not a zero-sum game. The presence of foreign talents and expertise is structured strategically to exist in parallel, to serve as the boosting factor for the nation to be the global hub of research and academic excellence, and to complement efforts to advance local talents and expertise.

A degree today is more than just conventional classroom learning, it is an inevitable process and preparation for a globalised world. The presence of international students and community is not confined to a structured rankings and recognition gameplay alone, it a vibrant ecosystem of shared learning, where ideas and perspectives intersect.

Knowledge creation gains depth when students from different countries contribute diverse viewpoints and create new debates and knowledge advancement with distinct enrichment.

Research thrives when top minds from different parts of the world collaborate, and having international faculty as NUS does, with over 60 per cent from abroad, blends new expertise and networks.

Tangible benefits for local students are also felt, where domestic students who interact with international peers develop better cross-cultural communication skills and wider perspectives.

By inviting global talents selectively and strategically, it can actually enhance that development. Internationalisation done right does not subtract from local education, it adds value to it. The key phrase is “done right”, with mindful policies so that inclusion does not turn into intrusion.

A globally diverse campus progressively creates globally savvy graduates, an asset for any nation in the 21st century.

Putting Malaysians first, while being globally present

Eventually, Malaysian universities are cognisant that nation-building remains their core mission. The controversy over top scorers missing out on local university spots is being well noted, and the way forward has always been to continuously progress and improve. Admissions and processes have always been merit-based and transparent, as reiterated by the Higher Education Ministry.

In the 2025 cycle, out of 109,000 applicants, about 78,800 (72 per cent) secured placement in public universities through UPU. In fact, all 1,255 STPM holders who achieved perfect 4.0 CGPAs were guaranteed a university spot (although not all got their first choice). While this shows a genuine effort to accommodate as many local students as possible, it is understood that not all will get the preferred courses of their choice. Every qualified student should have a pathway – if not at UM, then perhaps at another excellent public university in Malaysia. This should be the national recognition for all of our home-grown talents.

The point is, all top students in Malaysia must be recognised and awarded, and the public university system will continue to ensure that all of our local talents are rightfully and duly recognised and supported, for they are the future of our nation.

UM will never waver in our unyielding spirit of being the nation’s flagbearer in championing and leading the nation and the people.

Despite the parallel importance of internationalisation needs due to natural reasons, the immediate and core priority has always been on developing our very own human capital.

UM is driven to fulfil this national mandate, despite limitations in our own capacities and resources. We understand the unyielding spirit and ardour of our highly capable and successful young talents who have been toiling with persistent grit to fulfil their dreams to be part of our family and legacy of the nation’s top university, and despite the hindrances and finite capacities, we in UM will continue to stay true to our conviction and duty to support and recognise our own youths and our future generations.

The appeals process and multiple application choices exist to ensure no talent falls through the cracks.

The past and current systems of intake and admissions at the national level have been pillared on the basis of meritocracy and structured channels for subsequent appeals and considerations for the placements at universities and the right courses and fields being sought after.

Moving forward, efforts can be made to refine the system to reflect a more holistic and a balanced system. Most importantly, it is a recognition that exam results alone should not be the sole and defining criteria to define a student’s fate, especially when so many achievers are competing.

Many programmes already require interviews or aptitude tests relevant and needed for the particular course and such measures could be expanded so that passion, creativity, character, socio-economic conditions, competency and other attributes are considered alongside exam scores, ensuring a more well-rounded intake, but a fair, just and impartial system must also be the main ground in all of these processes, as have been implemented.

Meritocracy remains crucial and remains the basis of the intake, but a more holistic meritocracy can help differentiate the sea of straight-A candidates and place students in fields suited to their strengths.

Most importantly, once students enter university, the support system for local talent will endure.

Local public universities, including UM, have been ramping up mentorship programmes, entrepreneurial incubators, leadership workshops, and industry and international linkages and platforms to nurture students’ potential beyond academics alone.

This holistic development mandate remains the common shared agenda across all public universities, not just UM, and as part of a national agenda to build high-quality human capital for now and the future, and to empower the nation where skilled talents are nurtured and developed locally without losing our people to overseas’ lure.

We in UM do recognise the rooms for further enhancement and constant improvements in areas related to the placement, recognition and support for our local talents, to reflect the growing and changing indicators of future development and needs, and we welcome any constructive and forward-looking insights and ideas to further enhance the ecosystem, with the final aim of ensuring that our country and our people continue to be the first to benefit, to spearhead our aspirations to be a strong, respected and powerful country in the new wave of global uncertainties, and to fulfil the national agenda of being a high income nation driven by high skilled and well-developed human capital and expertise.

So, I assure that we will look into all cases where if Malaysian students qualify and meet the criteria for all of our courses, we will look into the appeals and the applications with fairness and understanding, that is the least that we can do as the nation’s foremost flagbearer of excellence, and will continue to honour our mandate and national duty.

The way forward: globally ranked, nationally grounded

The world of higher education is rapidly evolving, and Malaysia, like any other emerging nation keen to be ahead in the ladder of innovation and advancement, must not only adapt, but be agile and resilient to stay ahead.

We are now educating Gen Z and soon Gen Alpha, cohorts of digital-native, globally aware youth who have big aspirations. They compete fiercely for top grades and recognition but they also seek creativity, meaning, and impact in their education and efforts.

University of Malaya, as the nation’s flagship, is poised and well harnessed to lead this change. It has a dual equally pivotal role: creator of national advancement through producing homegrown leaders, and standard-bearer of global excellence through research and academic impact with global collaborations and presence.

Can UM continue to climb the global rankings with enlarged global recognition, while never forgetting the local Form Six students or Matriculation students who burn the midnight oil for a shot at UM? The answer must be yes.

It is a challenging balance, undoubtedly as there will always be challenges in allocating finite seats and resources, and a spirited public discourse and continuous national supportive policy that is future driven and forward-looking are needed to keep the system honest, resilient and agile.

It is also pertinent to realise that other countries face similar dilemma and challenges. The University of California system demonstrated that we can have firm protections for local students and still reap the benefits of international diversity.

Our focus on the bigger picture of nation-building has never dimmed. The ultimate goal is a Malaysia that has a highly skilled workforce, with a widened pool of thought leaders who can drive progress at home, and also a Malaysia that is a respected hub of knowledge, attracting talent from everywhere. These two goals are not necessarily contradictory, they are complementary.

A country that develops and supports its people well will naturally become a magnet for others to come to learn and work and contribute and conversely, being open to global talent can accelerate the development of our own people.

The new generation of students understands this symbiosis better, growing up in a connected world. Our universities must and will always reflect the same ethos, inclusive and globally minded, yet fair and loyal to local aspirations, with local talents being prioritised.

While we and our peers are walking a tightrope in striving for international stature and quality, this will not be at the cost of our local students’ dreams, and will strive that no talented Malaysian youth will feel left out, while at the same time, the energy of a global melting pot will be felt.

That is the vision of a truly aspiring university: one that transforms its nation and contributes to the world, all in the same breath.

We will continue to ensure that all local students who have worked hard to fulfil their dreams be recognised for their passion and zeal. We in UM also are working hard in sharing the same ideals of sacrificing for the nation and leading the country and the people with our knowledge and courage, and with pride of national duty and honour.

-- BERNAMA

Prof Datuk Seri Ir Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman is the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Malaya.