The Department of Higher Education

The Department of Higher Education or popularly known as Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi was restructured and established on 27 March 2004 in line with the creation of the Ministry of Higher Education. The first restructuring exercise of this department was under the Ministry of Education on 1 October 1995.

The Department of Higher Education is supported by several sectors, divisions and an administrative unit that is responsible for the development of both public and private higher education in Malaysia. It also ensures that the universities and colleges are of international standing. This Department is also involved in the marketing of Malaysian higher education to international markets as well as in- charge of international students' welfare.

The sector designated with the jurisdiction over public higher education is known as the 'Sector of Public Higher Education Management' while the sector designated with the jurisdiction over private higher education is known as the 'Sector of Private Higher Education Management'.

A)  The Management Sector of Department of Higher Education

This is the corporate and management services sector. It consists of the Information Technology Division, Human Resource Management Division, Human Development and Training Division as well as the Finance Division. Overall, this sector handles the administration, corporate image and other management functions of the Ministry.

B)  The Development Sector of Department of Higher Education

The Development Sector consists of the International Division, Planning and Research Division and Scholarship Division. Its many functions include preparing physical development plans that cover the five- year Malaysia Plan, facilities of public higher educational institutions as well as the Polytechnics and Community Colleges. It also handles the finances for managing and developing public higher educational institutions besides making monthly or quarterly and half-yearly reports.

We are living in a world where education paves the way for continued success of future generations. Malaysian must strive for a world-class higher education system of lifelong learning. Malaysian higher education institutions both private and public, must create new knowledge, support innovation and become more competitive.

4 of Malaysia's 20 public universities are designated research-based universities under the 9th Malaysia Plan with the aim of enrolling more students in S & T programmes at all levels to facilitate Malaysia to create a critical mass of research scientists and engineers.

To develop Malaysia into a Regional Centre of Educational Excellence, both private and public institutions of higher learning need to form closer partnership to promote and export higher education through more strategic marketing and branding of educational products in order to attract 100,000 international students by 2010.

There are 20 public universities in Malaysia offering a myriad of undergraduate and postgraduate courses with an aspire to produce world class graduates who have a high employability rating and the competence to drive a knowledge-based economy.

The ministry of higher education has allocated RM1.2 billion under the Ninth Malaysia Plan for the Skim Latihan Akademik IPTA (SLAI) which aims to enable local public universities to be more globally competitive by providing current lecturers the opportunity to pursue a PhD qualification.

This policy will increase the number of academicians in public universities with a PhD qualification or its equivalent to 60% by the year 2010.

The ministry is also engaging foreign lecturers and experts in its effort to meet international standards and build on areas of strength.

Many scholarship is now open for application.

Apply for KPLI Intake 2010 from the Kementerian Pendidikan.  KPLI intake Jan 2010 will be open for apply start from June.

The Higher Education Ministry’s Higher Education Department announced  that the application process for SPM students interested in joining a Public Universities (Government Universities) would be conducted fully online and in two phases.

Applicants are only allowed to apply once, and may update their online forms up to three times before the closing date for applications, which is 10 working days after the announcement of the SPM results.

Queries can be directed to the department’s Student Intake Management Division at 03-8883-5801/2 or
e-mail upu@mohe.gov.my

For enquiries, call 03-8883 5858 (10 lines), 03-8883 5848, 03-8883 5801/5802 or e-mail upu@mohe.gov.my.

Student are required to fill the online application form, which they can access by using MyKad number and creating a user password at http://www.mohe.gov.my

Remember to update.

Students have to purchase a unique ID number at RM10.60 at Bank Simpanan Nasional branches to send their online applications, along with their MyKad number and password.

Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE)

The higher education sector is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The establishment of this Ministry on 27 March 2004 marked an important part of history in Malaysia, particularly in the development of higher education. The establishment of MOHE is in line with the vision of the government in making Malaysia a centre of educational excellence and internationalizing Malaysian education.

MOHE is the governing authority for the Malaysian higher education sector, overseeing higher educational institutions (both public and private), community colleges, polytechnics and other government agencies involved in higher education activities such as the soon-to- be established Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) (which is the merger of the National Accreditation Board and the Quality Assurance Divisions of MOHE), the National Higher Education Fund Corporation [Perbadanan Tabling Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional - PTPTN) and Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman).

Mission of MOHE is to build and create a higher education environment that is conducive for the development of academic and institutional excellence and to generate individuals who are competent, innovative and of noble character to serve the needs of the nation and the world.

Some of MOHE's key functions include:

1) Determining policies and the direction of the higher education sector in order to build an excellent and outstanding nation that is rich in knowledge, culture and civilization

2) Acting as a catalyst to develop the sector that enables the nation to compete in the era of globalization

3) Dealing with the challenges of the present global economic scene, in line with the government's aspiration to produce adequate human resource with knowledge and high moral values (Outline Perspective Plan 3, 2001-2010, National Higher Education Strategic Plan and Vision 2020).

MOHE has its focus on five core thrusts:

1) To create a strategic and systematic plan for higher education

2) To reinforce the management system of higher education

3) To increase the level of capacity, accessibility and participation in higher education

4) To enhance the quality of higher education at par with international standards

5) To internationalize Malaysian higher education

Structure / Organization of MOHE

MOHE comprises four departments / sectors:

1) The Department of Higher Education

2) The Department of Polytechnics and Community College Education (DPCCE)

3) The Management Sector

4) The Development Sector