1. Higher education and state – Malaysia 2. Universities and Colleges – Malaysia 3. Education, Higher – Malaysia This ambitious publication, bringing together an outstanding group of Malaysian and international scholars, provides a comprehensive panorama of the Malaysian higher education system, while at the same time weaving in an international reference framework that helps to understand the evolution of the Malaysian universities in a comparative perspective. The book shows us the many threads of the complex story of the remarkable transformation that the Malaysian higher education system has undergone in the past decades. It tells a tale of generous public funding, rapid quantitative expansion, institutional diversification with the growth of private higher education, careful efforts to put in place a strong quality assurance system, and the development of a few leading research universities. – Jamil Salmi, Global higher education expert. *** It is indeed timely for the current state of Malaysian higher education to be independently and critically documented. I believe that this is the first attempt in this direction so that the future generation can understand and appreciate the challenges and struggles that were encountered and overcame in bringing our higher education system and institutions to international standards. – Musa Mohamad, Former Minister of Education, Malaysia. *** This book is, without question, the most comprehensive analysis of postsecondary education in Malaysia, and the most detailed and research-based book on the topic in South East Asia. Its thoughtful articles provide a useful perspective on virtually all of the issues central to higher education in Malaysia. Good policy depends on good research, and this volume provides the basis for the future development of Malaysian higher education. – Philip G. Altbach, Research professor and founding director Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, USA.