GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) will join several international universities at the Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC) Academic Park.
USM and three other universities will offer non-competing core programmes at the 240ha Bandar Enstek development in Nilai.
Reading University and Liverpool University from Britain had confirmed their participation, and talks were under way with several American universities, said KLEC Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Kamal Saleh after signing a memorandum of understanding with USM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak yesterday.
USM's migration to the academic park was part of its continuous development as an Apex (accelerated program-me for excellence) university, he said.
And the university's expansion to the park, the first phase of which is expected to be completed by 2013, will ease the crowding at its three campuses here and in Nibong Te-bal in Penang and Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
"We now have more than 20,000 students, and with our Apex programmes, we expect our postgraduate student population to double in the next five years from the more than 7,000 students today."
Dzulkifli said USM would move some of its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to the temporary campus in Kuala Lumpur by the middle of next year.
Programmes that do not require special facilities such as management, communication and arts will move first. Critical courses like medicine will move later.
The first phase of the academic park, said KLEC group managing director Kahlil Anwar Kamal, would cost about RM800 million.
The development of the park over the next 15 years will cost between RM1.5 billion and RM2 billion.
The first phase will include the construction of the campus buildings, housing and other infrastructure, which will be shared by USM and the other anchor institutions.
http://www.nstp.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/25usoe/Article/index_html
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