London: Three leading universities in the United Kingdom have agreed to offer tuition fee discounts of between 10 and 20 percent for students sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), said its chairman, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. He noted that these discounts, reached through discussions between MARA and the universities’ top management, could save more than RM100,000 per student annually.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the three institutions involved in this initiative are Warwick University and Birmingham University, both offering a 20 percent discount, while the University of Edinburgh is providing a 10 percent discount. Dr Asyraf Wajdi mentioned that Warwick University’s discount translates to up to £6,000 a year. Over a typical three-year undergraduate program, this amounts to £18,000, approximately RM110,000 in total, thus significantly reducing the cost for MARA-sponsored students.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi is currently in the UK for strategic meetings with senior leadership and renowned senior academics at the University of Cambridge and several other universities. He highlighted that there are currently 1,508 MARA-sponsored students pursuing their studies in the UK. Additionally, the Cambridge University Trust has expressed interest in collaborating with MARA through a co-funding arrangement for postgraduate research students at the Master’s and PhD levels.
He further noted, “Insya-Allah, if all terms are finalised, MARA could save up to RM5 million through this initiative.” This partnership is part of MARA’s strategic agenda to ensure Malaysian students are competitive both nationally and globally in academic and professional fields.
Moreover, Cambridge University has agreed to send a delegation to Malaysia to engage with Maktab Rendah Sains MARA International General Certificate of Secondary Education (MRSM IGCSE). This initiative aligns with MARA’s decision to establish a dedicated academic feeder pathway for MRSM students to gain entry into top global universities.
Dr Asyraf Wajdi also mentioned that the collaboration would provide opportunities for 9,987 MARA educators across its vocational colleges, MARA universities, and MRSMs to participate in knowledge exchange programs. These educators will have opportunities for joint research and to pursue postgraduate studies in strategic fields at Cambridge. These fields include renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), social sciences, quantum technology, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), entrepreneurial innovation, and other emerging disciplines vital for shaping the future global economy.