Introduction to Asia

Asia is the world’s largest continent with the most populous cities. Its wealth differs widely from region to region and the countries within each region. Although it may be pre conceived that the countries in Asia are poor, those countries are actually rich in their cultures, environments, historical ties and government systems.

The Far East is comprised of East Asia and Southeast Asia. It also forms part of the Pacific Rim, since most of the countries and cities in the Far East are located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Some of the countries that make up East Asia are China, Hong Kong, Japan, North and South Korea and Taiwan. Moreover, Burma, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam make up Southeast Asia.

The Far East has a rich an exotic culture, which dates back centuries. Culture and traditions are a strong hold in these areas, and the evidence of this can be seen through the countries’ architecture, paintings, historical monuments, poetry and writing. In this region, the Chinese Culture is seen in many of the societies. In the past these areas were known for their agriculture, rice paddies, metal work and trading, but today it is known for its industrialized and financially stable economies.

South Asia comprises of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with extended territories of Afghanistan, Burma, Iran and Tibet. South Asia makes up over one fifth of the world population. The South Asian cultures have been influenced by many ethnic groups over the centuries, including the British, and this can be seen in the countries’ architecture, art, historical monuments, languages, readings and writings. Many regions in South Asia are still developing countries unlike the rest of the world, but those countries that are financially stable have prosperous economies.

The Far East and South Asia are home to many different languages and dialects. Some of the many languages spoken are Burmese, Cantonese, Hindi, Malay, Mandarin, Sinhala, Tamil and Urdu. Although each country and the regions within have their own language and/or dialect, English is spoken by most of the people in the urban areas.

With a blend of cultures and traditions among the Far East and South Asia, there is a growing multicultural society. In recent years due to the economic development, many people from around the world now come to the Far East and South Asia for better job opportunities. This has led to its prosperity, growth and highly developed countries. As a result of this, the Far East and South Asia has been a popular choice for many overseas students, who can study in a friendly, safe, secure and diverse cultured society.

Education System in Asia

The Far East and South Asia consists of many territories of which China, India and Malaysia are known for their state of the art higher education facilities. These countries have one of the world’s highest population and birth rate, but it has also improved their standard of education to its masses. This can be seen in the increase of people going to colleges, universities and searching for jobs, over the last few decades.

There are over 2000 universities and colleges situated across China, offering a Western oriented standard of teaching to its students. The institutes offer degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate level, once the student has completed their higher education from school and eligible to attend a post secondary institute. The institutes are either public or private ones, with the monopoly being the public sector. Public schools are more competitive to get into than private schools. Some institutes require students to complete an entrance exam in order to complete the application process. Though the institutes set their own curriculum and run them as separate entities, the government of China has all authority on education and language.

There are over 2000 institutes – 20 central universities, 215 state universities, 100 deemed universities, 13 national institutes, 1600 colleges and 1800 women’s colleges - situated in India, targeting the growing population of the country. The Union or State government runs the higher education in India, with the institute setting its own curriculum and criteria for students. The institutes are either public or private, with the private institutes showing greater progress in education being offered. Due to the high number of students applying for post secondary education, competition to get into a reputable institute is high; therefore many institutes require an entrance exam needed to be taken. The institutes offer degree at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate level.

Malaysia has over 700 institutes – 537 colleges, 21 polytechnic, 55 universities and 25 university colleges - of post secondary education, which are funded by the government. There are also a number of foreign universities set up in Malaysia. The state of the art institutes offer degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate level. There are public and private schools, with many of the private schools working in cooperating with foreign institutes and universities. Each institute sets their own curriculum and criteria, with some requiring an entrance exam to complete the application process. Of

Students can attend post secondary education after the completion of their secondary education. One can apply to an institute on completion of General Certificate of English (GCE) A-Levels and O-Levels, International Baccalaureate, CBSE and SAT1/SAT2. Some institutes may require students to demonstrate their competence in English by passing an English Examination - Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The criteria for admission are usually set by the institutes and vary from one to another.

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of students attending post secondary institutes, showing that education is growing and changing over the years. English is used as the primary language of teaching. The institutes are recognized worldwide for their high teaching and research facilities. Degrees obtained from these institutes are equivalent to a degree from any other Commonwealth institution around the world.