Universities in Asean countries are studying the prospect of enhancing students' mobility among themselves to promote integration in education.

Higher Education Department director-general Dr Hassan Said said today that under the initiative, students from one Asean country university would be able to continue their studies in another Asean member state after studying a certain number of years in their own country.

"For example, after studying for two years at University Malaya, a student can enrol for another two years in another Asean country to complete the course," he was quoted in a Bernama report.

Currently, students' mobility in the region is confined to student exchange programmes among selected universities.

Credit transfer system

Hassan said there was a need to develop an Asean credit transfer system as student mobility requires clear definitions on the credit transfer systems.

He said student mobility was becoming an important global agenda to provide greater exposure to students on the international culture and to foster understanding on how they could live together in diverse environments.

In Asean context, he said, students' mobility would provide them the chance to interact at an early stage and get to know each other while in universities.

This would augur well for better understanding when they become leaders of their countries or hold important political or government positions in future, Hassan added.