China Plans to Build the Biggest Branch Campus in the World, but Will It Succeed?

By Jason Lane and Kevin Kinser. The Chinese government announced recently that it will allow Xiamen University to establish a branch campus in Malaysia.  Although this is not the first international branch campus of a Chinese university (Soochow University is in Laos), it does represent a significant move by a major Chinese research university. Though details are not public, what has been reported so far reveal ambitious expectations for enrollment that frankly seem unlikely to be realized. First, some context is needed on China’s choice of Malaysia. On the surface, there are good reasons why to go to Malaysia. There is a growing demand for higher education there. Importantly, about one quarter of all Malaysians are of Chinese descent and, historically, this population has not had equal access to the public higher-education system. Also, the country has been open to foreign education providers for the past 15 years and already hosts foreign educational outposts from Australia, India, Ireland, and Britain. Malaysian colleges and universities have numerous partnerships with universities in the United States and elsewhere. And, though they do not share a border, China and Malaysia do share the same time zone, making it easier to coordinate between campuses. Read more...