University of Nottingham Malaysia

The University of Nottingham Malaysia is a private university branch campus of the University of Nottingham. The university is situated in Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia. The university has been ranked as "excellent" or tier 5 in a scale of tier 1-6 and is classified as a private institution, by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.

The campus is run as a company called The University of Nottingham Malaysia Sdn Bhd (473520-K) with the provost being dual hatted as the CEO. The majority shareholder is Boustead Holdings.

The Malaysia campus was the first campus of a British university in Malaysia and one of the first to open outside Britain thus earning the distinction of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2001 and the Queen's Award for Industry (International Trade) 2006.

The University of Nottingham's other overseas campus is located in Ningbo, China.

History
Following an invitation from the Ministry of education to establish an overseas campus, a partnership between Boustead Holdings Berhad, YTL Corporation Berhad and the University of Nottingham was formally announced in 1998.

This development was the first ever branch campus of a British University established outside of the UK.

The University of Nottingham welcomed its first 89 students in September 2000 in Kuala Lumpur. In 2005, the university relocated to 48 hectare campus in Semenyih, in the valley of Broga Hill. In 2006, the campus reopened a Kuala Lumpur branch in Chulan Tower on Jalan Conlay to teach MBA students.

Semenyih campus
The Malaysia campus is primarily based at a 48 hectare plot situated in Semenyih, Selangor.

KL Teaching Centre (KLTC)
Besides the main campus in Semenyih, a city teaching facility is maintained in Chulan Tower in Kuala Lumpur's central business district. Postgraduate programmes, such as applied psychology, business and management, are taught at the KL Teaching Centre.

Academic
Being a branch campus of the University of Nottingham, students are not necessarily taught with similar course materials and generally do not sit the same exam papers as those in the UK, but are still under the jurisdiction of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Upon completing a degree at the Malaysia campus, students are awarded a University of Nottingham degree certificate at a convocation held locally which is indistinguishable from the certificates awarded at the Nottingham campus. The degrees that are awarded are accredited by international professional bodies such as the Association of MBAs and the UK Engineering Council.

The Engineering Degree courses are accredited by the Board of Engineering Malaysia (BEM) and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

Research
The university was given a five-star rating in the Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA) for research excellence in 2020. The only foreign university in Malaysia to be awarded two consecutive MyRAs.

Comprising 280 academic staff, the university's research focuses on future food Malaysia and developing sustainable societies, nanotechnology, inclusion in the workplace, data analytics and artificial intelligence, among others.

Apart from the taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, the university conducts projects for research-based postgraduate studies. There are more than 20 research programmes being carried out at the Malaysia Campus.

Biotechnology Research Centre
The Biotechnology Research Centre is a 986 m2 research centre specialising in the applied research of biotechnology products, specifically palm oil crop. The building cost RM3.5M, excluding internal fittings and scientific equipment. Inside the main research building there are two labs, one for the teaching of UNMC biotechnology students and the other for research.

The research centre is operated as a joint collaboration with Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd (AAR), a start-up company.

Mobility programme
As part of Nottingham's advantage scheme, students may be exchanged to other campuses. In the words of Vincenzo Raimo, director of Nottingham's International Office ''“Students can continue studying exactly the same modules available at Nottingham in the UK but overseas instead — experience the excitement of Asia but within the familiar academic setting of Nottingham University, … Transfers are open to anyone getting good grades and whose degree subject is among those taught overseas. Air fares may not be cheap, but the cost of living is — and anyone spending the full year at a branch pays just half the UK tuition fee. "''

Besides exchanging to the UK campus or the China campus, students may also take part in Universitas 21 mobility programme in which students may also be exchanged with universities partner to Universitas 21 in Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Japan, China, and South Korea.

These exchanges are not guaranteed but subject to agreement by the exchange partners at the time.

Transportation


Shuttle bus services are offered free as a university incentive to alleviate on-campus parking issues. However, shuttle bus services are by regulations restricted to students and staff of the university. The nearest public bus route is at the nearest town of Semenyih, approximately 3 km from campus.

The university provides free transportation to the nearby Tesco super store and IOI City Mall which located in Putrajaya, special bus service to the Semenyih mosque for Friday prayers, and a shuttle bus service for students living in the student town of Taman Tasik Semenyih or Semenyih Lake park. A pedestrian bridge connects the neighbouring Taman Tasik Semenyih to the North entrance.