Hsien
Malaysia
Institution attended: University of New South Wales,
University of Western Australia
The links students make while studying
in Australia can help them throughout their lives. Hsien, a qualified clinical
psychologist, believes the professional and academic networks he developed in
Perth have helped his career success back in Malaysia.
“It helped me to
go on to get many high level positions within the country. Many of the clinical
psychology graduates in Malaysia and Singapore are from Australia. We continue
to maintain department, training and research links with Australian
universities,” he said.
Hsien came to Australia to study more than ten
years ago. His decision to move was influenced by the affordable tuition fees
and living expenses, as compared to the United Kingdom. The closeness to
Malaysia and the similarities between the two country’s health policies were
also attractive.
Hsien was lucky enough to be awarded one of the many
scholarships available to international students. Since then, he has developed
an impressive list of achievements. He has undertaken placements in numerous
Australian, Malaysian and English hospitals and also worked as a consultant to
government. Hsien has spoken at conferences and on television and radio, and
published nearly a hundred research papers.
Hsien is also the head of
the School of Health and Natural Sciences at Sunway University College,
Malaysia. Yet he has a great deal to say about the quality of education he
received in Australia.
“There were supportive lecturers and clinical
supervisors who were able to impart many skills that were applicable to
Malaysia. The academic resources were good and where something was not
available, there were good inter-library resources. The university had strong
links with the local education and health community which was excellent for
research and getting local assistance,” he said.