Taking a step forward in realising its globalisation efforts, the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) inked a landmark deal with EduCity@Iskandar Sdn Bhd, making it the first private tertiary institution in Singapore to make its foray into Malaysia. This is MDIS’ second overseas campus – the first being in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – and also marks the first major deal made by a Singaporean group in Iskandar’s special economic zone.
Held in September 2013, the Kolej MDIS Malaysia Campus Groundbreaking Ceremony was officiated by YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Hj. Muhyiddin bin Hj. Mohd Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Education. The project costs RM300 million and will be carried out in three phases: the first, to be completed by 2015, will allow the campus to open its doors to some 2,000 students, but the goal is to allow the campus to cater to over 10,000 students upon the completion of its third phase in 2023. In the meantime, the City Campus in Johor Bahru City Square will be in full operation.
Once fully operational, Kolej MDIS Malaysia will be equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure such as campus-wide WiFi connectivity, fully-equipped computer laboratories, and dedicated lecture theatres. In accordance with the institution’s green initiative, the campus will also dedicate to approximately 40 percent of its 30.07 acres of land to incorporating eco- and disability-friendly features such as solar panels, rainwater collection tanks and glare shields to minimise water and electrical usage.
Kolej MDIS Malaysia will offer courses in Business, Tourism & Hospitality, Mass Communication, Information Technology, and Digital Media. All of these courses have already received the Malaysian Qualifications Agency’s MQA Accredited and relevant course licences.
With the addition of Kolej MDIS Malaysia, students from the MDIS campuses in Tashkent and Singapore will have the opportunity of a transnational education: something which, with the increasing globalisation of economies worldwide, will only become more valuable as time goes by.
