Malaysian models for engineering education in the United States

Over the past 20 years many Malaysian students have chosen to leave their c ountry and come to the United States for an engineering education. Reasons for this include: (1) insufficient local universities, (2) the need for sta te-of-the-art knowledge, and (3) a rising standard of living that makes a U .S. education more affordable. This paper discusses how the opportunity for an American engineering education is made available to students in Malaysi a. A historical perspective is provided; then, three models - twinning, art iculation, and credit transfer - are introduced, along with a discussion of the pros and cons of each. A case study of a twinning program between a U. S. consortium-comprised of the University of Kentucky, the University of Te nnessee-Knoxville, and Oklahoma State University - and Metropolitan College of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is presented.