New Era University College: An Introduction

New Era University College (NEUC) was established in 1997 following the closure of Nanyang University in Singapore in 1980. It was the outcome of many years of efforts in addition to unwavering support from the Malaysian Chinese community.

NEUC is a non-profit, private university college in Malaysia. On 30 December 2016, New Era was upgraded to University College status by the Ministry of Higher Education. This upgrading allows NEUC to offer its own undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All courses offered by NEUC are approved by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The qualifications awarded by NEUC are also accredited by the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the mutual recognition of qualifications agreement between Malaysia and China. NEUC is also listed on China’s JSJ Study Abroad website. NEUC started its first dedicated class for international students from China in July 2020 and has welcomed more than 400 international students since then. Chinese postgraduate and undergraduate students make up the majority of international students, while other international students from countries such as Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Laos, The United States of America, and Canada are also enrolled.

NEUC currently has nine faculties comprising of the Institute of International Education; the Graduate School; Arts and Social Sciences; Art and Design; Communication, Cinematic and Performing Arts; Accountancy, Management and Economics; Computer Science and Information Computing Technology; the Institute of Ageing and Professional Care; and Health, Safety, Security and Environment. New Era offers Master’s and PhD in ASEAN Studies (research-based), as well as research-based Master’s and PhD programmes in Chinese Studies, Education, Business Administration, and a coursework-based Master of Business Administration. In addition, the Faculty of Accounting, Management and Economics of New Era University College have been collaborating with Wrexham Glyndwr University from the United Kingdom to offer a joint dual degree programme since 2018. Additionally, the Department of Education has launched the only Bachelor of Education (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) programme in Malaysia, while the Department of Chinese Language and Literature offers studies in a wide range of areas including China Studies and Local Chinese Studies and is highly recognized for its excellent scholarly expertise. It can be said that NEUC is a university with a strong team of scholars specialising in Chinese Studies and is perfectly situated to serve as a key provider of education in various areas of study to meet the needs of international students.

Over the past 20 years, NEUC has established industry-academia partnerships with over 500 Chinese companies and the number of students has increased by 51% since 2018. NEUC has established academic links and exchange programmes with more than 150 universities around the world as well as forming an advisory board consisting of Chinese experts and scholars. These efforts have enabled NEUC to become one of the preferred universities for collaborations between Malaysian and Chinese institutions. NEUC is also a Chinese–English bilingual university with a stimulating and safe learning environment imbued with elements of Chinese culture. An especially noteworthy feature of the campus is the Tan Lark Sye Library which houses the largest collection of Chinese language titles in the country. This includes special holdings such as the Fang Xiu Collection, the Lee Yip Lim Collection, the Yong Ching Fatt Collection, the Lee Kim Chong Collection, the Tay Lian Soo Collection, and the Nanyang University Resource Centre. These special collections are open for use by scholars and postgraduate students to conduct research on Chinese literature,education, and the community.

In 2019, NEUC released a Chinese campus music album entitled “Flying High” to foster student creativity and to create a vibrant campus life. This is the first student music album produced and fully funded by a university in the history of Malaysian music.

NEUC is a university that emphasizes the humanistic values of education and embraces its history while actively seeking new horizons and opportunities. It is the hope, the vision, and the values of NEUC that will make a strong impact and allow its presence felt not only in Malaysia,but also everywhere, as a reputable and leading university rooted in the spirit of Chinese culture.