Malaysia and Africa Strengthen Higher Education Ties at MAHEF2025 in Nairobi

28 November 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya: Malaysia has taken a significant step in deepening its engagement with Africa’s higher education sector through the inaugural Malaysia–Africa Higher Education Forum 2025 (MAHEF2025–Africa), held on 24th November at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Upper Hill, Nairobi. Organised by Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MoHE) and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kenya, the event marked a historic milestone as the first edition dedicated to Africa.

This forum is set to become a biennial event, rotating across different African countries to promote broader regional participation, foster co-hosting opportunities, and enhance visibility across the continent. Its launch reflects Malaysia’s strategic aim to strengthen educational cooperation, expand research collaborations, and facilitate talent mobility between Malaysia and Africa.

The event was graced by the presence of the Honourable Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, who attended during his official Africa engagement visit. His attendance underscored Malaysia’s commitment to South–South cooperation and the importance placed on fostering meaningful partnerships within the region.

In conjunction with the forum, the Study in Malaysia Education Fair and the Counsellor Workshop Kenya 2025 were also held, further boosting Malaysia’s outreach efforts. Under the theme “Intensifying Internationalisation in the Context of the Global South Agenda,” the forum aimed to strengthen higher education collaborations, promote joint research initiatives, and enhance talent exchange programmes across Malaysia and African nations.

The Malaysian delegation was led by Datuk Dr. Anesee Ibrahim, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, accompanied by senior officials including Datuk Professor Dr. Azlinda Azman, Director-General of Higher Education, and Novie Tajuddin, Chief Executive Officer of EMGS. The event attracted a diverse array of participants, including policymakers, university leaders, parents, students, alumni, government representatives, and quality assurance bodies — all demonstrating a shared interest in Malaysia-Africa education cooperation.

"Malaysia and Africa share a history of resilience, struggle against colonialism, and a common belief in education as a vehicle for justice, human dignity, and national development. Malaysia is committed to strengthening skills and talent exchanges, deepening university-to-university collaborations, and ensuring equitable access to education. Alongside our partners in Kenya and across Africa, we remain dedicated to realising our shared aspirations," said Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Julius Migos Ogamba, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, added, “This forum embodies our collective ambition to bolster South–South cooperation in education and research, leveraging our respective strengths to tackle shared challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and youth unemployment.”

Datuk Dr. Anesee Ibrahim expressed hope that Malaysia and Africa will continue to deepen their partnership through stronger institutional linkages, expanded scholarship opportunities, co-developed programmes, and collaborative research addressing regional and global issues. Novie Tajuddin highlighted that “MAHEF2025–Africa serves as a platform to connect with our seven participating African countries, not only physically but also digitally.”

The forum facilitated a range of bilateral and multilateral collaborations, including strengthening government-to-government and university-to-university linkages, advancing STEM cooperation, expanding transnational education initiatives, and promoting academic exchanges and joint research. A key highlight was the signing and exchange of Malaysia–Africa Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), which underscored joint commitments to deepen collaboration in higher education, research, and capacity building.

These initiatives support Malaysia’s ‘Shift 7: Global Prominence’ under the Malaysia Education Blueprint (Higher Education), reaffirming its position as a vibrant education hub within the Global South.

In tandem with MAHEF2025, the Study in Malaysia Education Fair took place on 23rd and 24th November, attracting nearly 500 attendees over two days. The event featured 12 Malaysian universities and resulted in the issuance of more than 150 Conditional Offer Letters (COLs) on the spot, reflecting strong interest from Kenyan and African students seeking Malaysian education pathways.

The growing demand for Transnational Education (TNE) from African students was prominently evident, with Malaysia well-placed to meet this need through its established network of foreign branch campuses and internationally recognised academic programmes.

Overall, MAHEF2025–Africa attracted over 400 visitors and participants, marking it as one of Malaysia’s most significant higher education outreach initiatives in Africa. The event reinforced Malaysia’s ambition to welcome 250,000 international students by 2030, building on the current total of over 150,000 international students from more than 180 countries, who contribute an estimated RM16 billion annually to the Malaysian economy via tuition fees, living expenses, and long-term talent development.