Kuala Lampur, Oct. 22 -- As Malaysian universities prepare to welcome a new academic year, campuses across the country will once again become places where students from different parts of the world come together to study, build friendships and experience Malaysia.

This is also a timely moment to think about where Malaysia's international higher education sector is heading.

Malaysia has set an ambitious goal of attracting 500,000 international students by 2035 as part of its ambition to strengthen its position as a global education hub. The target represents a significant expansion from the 159,138 international students enrolled in Malaysian public and private higher education institutions in 2025.

But as Malaysia seeks to attract more...