The Workaround to the Main Barriers of Study

There are a number of stumbling blocks to studying overseas. The main barriers are cost, homesickness, and cultural differences. These barriers have seen many students wanting to study overseas to stop and abandon their dreams because of the difficulties. I’m here to tell you of a method to avoid these barriers, and this method is close to home, study in Malaysia.

Why Malaysia? Well, first of all, Malaysia is very close to Indonesia. Flights from Indonesia will only take at most one and a half hours to Malaysia. Flights are numerous and low cost carriers fly across so the cost to go and come back from Malaysia is very cheap. 

Culturally, Malaysia is similar to Indonesia, but it is also very multicultural, with strong British connections from previously being a British colony. Malaysia is a multiracial country with a population of more than 26 million which consists of Malay, Chinese and Indian as many other indigenous races, all coexisting in harmony. There are also people of other nationalities studying, working and doing business in Malaysia. 

A major advantage for international students when choosing to study in Malaysia is the relatively cheap cost of living. The total expenditure for accommodation, either on-campus or off-campus is very affordable. While your actual cost of living will depend on the location of your accommodation and your personal lifestyle, students will be pleased to know that KL has been ranked one of the least expensive cities in the world to live in. Malaysia has always offered a cost advantage as a study destination for international students. The cost of education in Malaysia is much cheaper than many other overseas countries for foreign students.

Finally Malaysia is also home to many foreign university branch campuses, such as Curtin University, Swinburne University and Monash University from Malaysia and University of Nottingham from the UK, amongst others. These are official campuses located in Malaysia, so you will not need to travel to the respective countries in order to study at a quality university and obtain a degree from said institutions. 

So let us look back at our main barriers. Cost, homesickness and cultural differences are all covered here, along with a guaranteed quality education. If you wish to know further or would like to weigh your options in studying in Malaysia, come and visit any of our branches or email us at consultation@suneducationgroup.com

Academic Accreditation for Swiss Hospitality Schools

With the growth of post-secondary schools offering hospitality diploma and degree programs throughout the world, it has become necessary to place a greater consideration on the academic quality of the institutions.

Generally speaking, universities should either be recognized by a Ministry or Department of Education in the country of operation, or in many cases, regionally accredited in the United States.  Accreditation is generally defined as a quality assurance process administered by an outside organization that evaluates a university's adherence to established quality standards applied to all universities seeking to be accredited.

Accreditation is not only important in evaluating the academic quality of an institution, but it can also be a critical component to external recognition of the completed degree by employers and governments.  Thus, if a student graduated from a university that was not accredited, the likelihood of professional recognition of that degree will be limited.  The reason behind this is simple, without the quality assurance process applied in an accreditation review, potential employers may not consider the graduate to be adequately prepared for professional employment.

While there are many hospitality schools in Switzerland, there are very few that are either regionally accredited institutions or recognized by the Swiss Federal Government.  Those institutions who are accredited by The Commission on Technical and Career Institutions (CTCI), are accredited in offering "a program of study is defined as a curriculum or sequence of course work, lab work, independent study or other academic endeavor that leads to a certificate or diploma." Institutions accredited by The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) "offer collegiate-level programs consisting of a curriculum of studies that leads to a degree in a recognized field of study."   The difference is critical, CTCI institutions offer accredited certificates or diplomas while CIHE institutions offer accredited degrees (ex. Bachelor and Masters Degrees).   

When considering a hospitality education in Switzerland, there are only three institutions who offer NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the US Regional accreditation), Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) accredited degrees: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Glion Institute of Higher Education, and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management.  There are no other Swiss Hospitality Schools that offer US regionally Accredited Bachelor and Masters Degrees.  

Government recognition or US regional accreditation has become one of the primary selection criteria when considering the professional employment of hospitality graduates.  This is especially true when it comes to hospitality companies based in the United States.  It is not unusual to see among the required qualifications for employment being the 'Completion of a bachelor degree from regionally accredited or government recognized institution.'  With that, it's wise to carefully consider the accreditation of the institution prior to spending time and money in attendance. 

Contact your nearest SUN Education Group office or email us at consultation@suneducationgroup.com for more information.

The hidden gems of education

Most people would only be able to name several different degrees. However, did you know that there are hundreds of different majors and degrees in existence? Some are derivatives of other well-known majors and degrees but there are very obscure but useful degrees as well.

Modern Languages teaches linguistic skills along with exploring the social and cultural traditions of the languages spoken. This is vastly different from just learning a language. It is an opportunity to meet lots of new people, enjoy new cultures and expand your working capabilities in a non-english speaking country. The University of Southampton has the course of Modern languages in their Bachelor of Arts programme. 

For those wanting to delve deeper, there is also a linguistic programme. Linguistics is the study of language in all its forms; it concerns itself with the many different facets of language, from the physical properties of the sound waves in speech, to the social context in which conversations are embedded. The various sub-branches of linguistics are concerned with how languages are structured, what they have in common, the range of, and limits to, the differences between them, how they are acquired and used, and how they change.

Aquaculture is the aquatic equivalent of agriculture - the production of aquatic species in land or sea based 'farms'. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming. The University of Otago (New Zealand) has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries. Aquaculture in New Zealand has undergone a huge expansion and now production of seacage salmon and greenlip mussels is a big part of our seafood industry.

Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments (their paleoecology). As a "historical science" it attempts to explain causes rather than conduct experiments to observe effects. Palaeontological observations have been documented as far back as the 5th century B.C.E. Paleontology is a dedicated study and requires more in depth study. Diablo Valley College in the US has courses on anthropology as the precursor to studying paleontology when transferring to the universities. 

Peace and conflict studies  is a social science field that identifies and analyses violent and nonviolent behaviours as well as the structural mechanisms attending social conflicts with a view towards understanding those processes which lead to a more desirable human condition it aims to facilitate dialogue between individuals, groups or communities who are concerned with conditions of positive peace, whether in interpersonal relationships, community relations, within organisations and nations, or with reference to international relations. This requires development of diagnostic tools for the analysis of social and political situations, a capacity to engage in and understand the evaluation of alternative courses of action and the skills to incorporate values within political analysis. The University of Queensland in Australia has Peace and conflict studies as a major in their Bachelor of Arts program. 

So are you now more interested in the unique courses? If you would be more inclined, visit any of our branch offices or call us and our counselors will guide you to your best options. Email us at consultation@suneducationgroup.com

SUN International Expo

SUN is coming to town!

The time of year has come, the time for SUN to showcase the biggest international expo agents will have held. Introducing SUN International Expo 2012 Roadshow which will be held at Jakarta, Bandung, Pontianak and Medan. All of these expos are free entry, so invite your family and friends to come along! We will be inviting over 100 institutions from eight different countries, which are Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. 

This will be the biggest and most comprehensive international expo, so don’t miss out on having the chance to speak face-to-face with some of the top universities such as University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Monash University, Laureate Hospitality Education Switzerland, University of Waikato, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), University of Warwick, Newcastle University, community colleges from USA and many more institutions around the world. It will be very beneficial and truly an experience that you just cannot miss.

Exclusive to Jakarta, which will be held on the 15^th of September at the Ritz Carlton Hotel – Pacific Place, and the Harris Hotel – Kelapa Gading, we will be holding an IELTS try-out by IALF (Limited spaces only, so RSVP now at www.suneducationgroup.com), “Unleash the Secret of A+ Strategies to become a super student” by team ADAM KHOO (The no.1 Motivator in Asia), “Discover your Talents, Create your Future” by S.A.T.U Consulting (Smart Achievement Toward the Ultimate) and a seminar on “How to boost your writing score” by SUN English. All these seminars are absolutely Free of Charge! 

Don’t forget to bring your academic details to apply directly as you will obtain these benefits:

·         Free Application and Registration*

·         Free Document  courier fee*

·         Free Academic  Transcript translation*

·         Free Photo souvenir (Jakarta Only)

*Selected Institutions only, terms and conditions apply

Bandung expo will be held on the 18^th of September 2012 at the Novotel Hotel, Pontianak will be held on the 20^th of September 2012 at the Mercure Hotel, Surabaya on the 22^nd September 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel and Medan on the 23^rd September 2012 at the Grand Swiss-Belhotel.

SUN Education Group is the largest international education consultant in Indonesia with more than 40 years of consultancy and management of overseas studies. As a one-stop service for all your education needs, we provide help, advice, consultancy and our SUN English will guarantee you point score as well as skill improvement in your English. With 8 offices across Jakarta, you would not need to worry about distance when visiting us. We look forward to seeing you at our expo or in one of our offices.