Helo there, thank you so much for clicking on my question. Give yourself a pat on the back. Okay I would like to ask is it true that if you are getting a Thai degree, it’s not worth much in Malaysia compared to if you take other foreign degrees like Australian degree etc? I am a Kedahan student and will be starting my semester in a Thai Uni for Business Communication in August. Thank you.
To answer your question, we need to put things into perspective:
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Malaysians generally look up to universities in US, UK or Australia. So it is not a surprise that people (including employers) will think highly of you if you graduate from one of those popular countries for overseas studies.
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However, having said that, not all universities in those countries are good universities. Like in every countries, there are top, good, average, bad universities.
A more objective metric that many scholarship providers usually use for definition of good universities are QS World University Rankings.
For example, University of Wollongong (Australia) ranked 243 while University of Malaya (Malaysia) ranked 146 according to 2015 QS World University Rankings.
So based on the rankings, employers might think a graduate from UM is better than a graduate from University of Wollongong (Australia)?
- The answer unfortunately is no, as employers generally perceive Australian universities are better than Malaysian universities. Some employers might also think that overseas graduates are better than local graduates because they have valuable overseas study and living experience. They assume these students will have broader horizon and more international experience.
So at the end of the day, it is really different people have different perspectives - and perspectives can change over time.
It is true that Thai universities are less well known in Malaysia, except for maybe people from Kedah, Perlis or Kelantan. But at least it is overseas university anyway so you might still have an advantage compared to local graduates if the employers’ sentiment remains (3) that overseas are always better than local.
Please note that this is not a right (fair) or wrong (unfair) thing, this is just how people (and including employers) generally think in Malaysia.
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I think that university rankings are always debatable, as high weightage of QS world rankings is based on research and publication (affecting more directly to researchers and postgraduate students), which doesn’t necessary reflect the level of education that the undergraduate students are getting.
I think that the choice of university should be made based on what kind of learning or education experience you want to achieve for the three or four years of undergraduate study. And maybe less on whether the university is laku or not.
I saw in another topic that you planning to study at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. Perhaps you can share with us why did you choose that university in the first place? Is it simply because it is nearer to your hometown? Or because you can get the scholarship?
An important factor to consider in terms of future employability - are the courses taught in English? If the medium of teaching and instruction is Thai, then it might only be an advantage if you are planning to work in Thailand after graduation.
Hello thank you for your reply. Yes in the earlier post I did state that I would be interested in furthering my studies in Chulalongkorn University. The reason for this is because my parents recommended this particular Univeristy and the fact that they offer an attractive Mass Communication programme which is the course I would like to pursue in. And yes they hope for me to gain different skills and improve my understanding in Thai culture. I had no former knowledge of universities in Thailand eventhough I am Siamese and I live in Kedah. But currently my parents had decided for me to study in English in Business Communicatiom instead, in Naresuan University which is where one of my older siblings is currently doing their Master. On my opinion studying in Thailand or anywhere abroad is an advantage as it gives students a wider view towards the world and gain extra skills.