Kuala Lumpur:

FOR many years, the issue of the Malaysia brain drain has been greatly debated and discussed. It was reported that one out of ten graduates migrated in 2000 — this is twice the world average, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It has been said that a lack of career prospects in Malaysia is the detrimental issue as the domestic job market is not ready for non-traditional jobs. Growing up in Malaysia, we are all encouraged to take on traditional careers such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers. Opportunities within the liberal arts or digital technology arena, are few and far between. It is argued that every ‘brain drain’ is a potential ‘brain gain’ for our country and so at MABECS, we are in full support of such an initiative to bring our students home. Reverse brain drain (RBD) can be explained using the human capital theory. It emphasises the potential relationship between the talent, quality, and skills of the workforce and organisational performance which ultimately influences and benefits a nation’s development. Human capital, such as a student’s talent, knowledge (tacit and explicit), and experience are key sources of a nation’s sustained competitive advantage within the global arena. Consequently, this human capital within our Malaysian student population abroad can be categorised as valuable, rare, incomparable, and non-substitutable. With the 12th Malaysia Plan and the initiatives in place to grow various industries for economic empowerment, it is likely that non-traditional jobs and entrepreneurs opportunities will be more widely available to our students. At MABECS we strongly believe that education consultants like us are in a unique position to help the nation attract our graduates from abroad back home, to initiate this Great Malaysia Brain Gain. We were set up to assist students in Malaysia to find suitable places at universities in the United Kingdom (UK). Through the years, we’ve discovered that our job does not end there, as we strive to keep in touch with our students, during the course of their education journey abroad. Together with the Government of Malaysia, we wish to share the ample opportunities available as well as the positive growth and progress of Malaysia, to students who are pursuing their studies abroad. This can be done in a regular newsletter or briefings by the Government to Education Consultants. These can incorporate Malaysia’s performance in international rankings, its economic growth, areas within the economy that are outstanding, employment opportunities in new exciting, fast-growing industries etc. In due course, confidence can be instilled within our students that there are exciting and relevant jobs or entrepreneurship opportunities, back home. We believe our Malaysian students can return home to take on exciting new roles utilising their talent, knowledge and experience gained from an overseas education. They will be able to put these to good use in new upcoming industries. Ultimately, as the companies and industries thrive, so will our economy, resulting in a shared prosperity for our nation. This article is written by MABECS