Over 300,000 Malaysian students have studied in Australia.
With 33m residents and a burgeoning middle class, Malaysia is the 3rd most prosperous ASEAN nation – and Australia’s 9th largest trading partner.
Australia-Malaysia engagement can be seen as far back as 1871 when the census recorded Malay pearl divers, miners and plantation workers in Australia. Fast forward to 1950, and Malaysian students began forming the largest cohort of Colombo Plan students in Australia. On their return, they have permeated, influenced, and overseen the development of every element of Malaysian society and made valuable contributions to the vibrant and diverse Australia we enjoy today.
Our education systems continued to become deeply entwined, with three Australian university campuses in Malaysia and through the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education. The future is bright with a vibrant SAMA – Student Association of Malaysia and Australia and deep youth engagement through the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership at their 2023 Young Leaders Forum in KL.
They are great friends and trusted partners. It’s important to celebrate the contributions of good mates. So, this is a shout-out to recognise exceptional colleagues.
Alumni Awards
The Malaysia Australian Alumni Council (MAAC) is the national body for Malaysian alumni associations of Australian universities supported by the Australian High Commission in Malaysia. Since the 1996 Malaysian Australian University Alumni Convention in KL, a MAAC committee has been bringing Malaysian graduates from Australian Universities together through their Alumni Associations.
Their upcoming annual awards recognising Malaysians residing in Malaysia are now open for nominations.
This presents an opportunity for Australian universities, business partners, collaborators and the community to nominate and recognise esteemed Malaysian Alumnus and Alumna of Australian universities in the following categories;
- Distinguished Alumni
- Distinguished Young Alumni
- Young Entrepreneur
- Community Achievement
- Female Alumnus of the Year
- Australian University Alumni Chapter
The Australian Alumni Awards in Malaysia is an initiative of the Australian High Commission in Malaysia and the MAAC. It is the only Australian Alumni-specific series of awards recognising exceptional Malaysian graduates from Australian Universities.
An opportunity exists to showcase the outstanding contribution Malaysian students have made and, at the same time, promote the educational relationship and exchange between the two nations.
Nominations can be found here and close on Friday 6 October 2023
Thank you to the ongoing role of organisations such as Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC) and AustCham ASEAN for continuing to foster friendship and engagement.
