Under a new partnership, HELP University College and Swinburne University of Technology, Australia will deliver a unique experience for HELP’s psychology students to complete their degrees in Australia.
The Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), expected to have its first intake in August 2010, will give Malaysian students the opportunity to transfer to Swinburne to complete the third year of their course.
A delegation from Swinburne visited HELP on Friday 11 June to sign the agreement.
The delegation included Swinburne Faculty of Life and Social Sciences Dean Professor Russell Crawford and Associate Dean (International) Dr François Malherbe, Swinburne Head of Psychology Professor Glen Bates and Swinburne Brain Sciences Institute Director Professor Michael Kyrios.
According to Crawford, the agreement will allow students to graduate with a fully accredited Australian degree.
“In order to work as a psychologist in Australia, students must complete the necessary study and have the qualifications that are required by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. This course creates a pathway for Malaysian students to easily continue on to further study in Australia to become a qualified psychologist,” Crawford said.
“This course also comes at a time where the Malaysian government is keen to integrate trained psychologists into schools and other areas of the community.”
“As one of Malaysia’s top universities for psychology studies, with around 1100 psychology students, HELP is playing a key role in building the profile of the psychology profession in Malaysia.”
“Swinburne is pleased to have established a partnership with such a well recognised institution. Together, HELP and Swinburne are in the perfect position to train a new generation of psychologists.”
“This partnership with Swinburne will open up more opportunities for our students to complete their degrees in Australia. We’re also pleased that Swinburne recognises the strength of our psychology programme. We hope that with this opportunity, our students will be able to bring their experience from Australia back to Malaysia so that they may be able to contribute to the Malaysian society,” HELP Acting Head of the Department of Psychology Mr Kenneth Phun said.
Professor Glen Bates said that the partnership also provides students with the rare opportunity to experience two education systems.
“By undertaking a year of study in Australia the students will not only experience a different teaching style. They will also be given opportunities to work with Australian students and gain unique cultural experiences that will be vital to their professional development as psychologists,” he said.
Swinburne has had an active presence in Malaysia since 2000, when it opened a branch campus in Kuching, Sarawak. Since, Swinburne Sarawak has grown rapidly and was recently awarded self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.