S2-D: Migration of African Students to Malaysia

African students are increasingly drawn to Asian countries while seeking higher education. As Europe is closing its borders and Western rhetoric remains islamophobic, Islamic countries like Malaysia become more attractive. The practice of Islam and English as a widely spoken language are additional pull factors. The Malaysian Islamic faith is connected to a certain ethnic group and is thus ethnicized. This ethnicization of society also results in the ‘othering’ against migrant populations. Foreign students have to cope with this situation additionally to all other factors of living abroad.

This ethnographic study observes the micro-level effects of processes of deterritorialization and contributes to the study of African-Asian transnational networks. The focus will be on the personal experiences of African students during their studies at Malaysian universities. The research project explores questions of identity and difference as well as transnational religious networks.

Involvierte AFRASO Mitglieder: 

Kontakt: 

AFRASO Publications

Samokhvalova, Alexandra ; 2015 ; Transformation of the Higher Education System in Malaysia: APEX Initiative and World Class University ; Samokhvalova, Alexandra ; Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Press ; Bandar Baru Nilai
Graf, Arndt ; 2016 ; Malaysia’s niche in international higher education: Targeting Muslim-majority, Commonwealth, and less-developed countries. ; TRaNS: Trans-Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia ; 4(1) ; Cambridge University Press ; 5-40
Graf, Arndt, Lindberg-Falk, Monica ; 2016 ; Introduction to the Issue: Student Mobility within Southeast Asia. ; TRaNS: Trans-Regional and - National Studies of Southeast Asia ; 4 (1) ; Cambridge University Press ; 1-4

Talks and Lectures

Kandale, Frauke ; Strangers in Paradise: African Muslim Students in West-Malaysia ; Tuesday, March 11, 2014 ; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Graf, Arndt ; New African scholarship on Human Security in Southeast Asia ; Wednesday, August 12, 2015 to Wednesday, March 30, 2016 ; Wien
Kandale, Frauke ; Migration of Sudanese and Nigerian Students to West-Malaysia ; Saturday, September 13, 2014 ; University of Brighton
Kandale, Frauke ; Migration of African Muslim Students to West-Malaysia ; Monday, March 24, 2014 ; Keble College, Oxford
Kandale, Frauke ; Migration and Diasporas in Southeast Asia, WiSe 2014/2015 ; Goethe University Frankfurt
Arndt Graf ; Intercivilisational Dialogue Through Higher Education: The Case of Malaysia ; Wednesday, March 20, 2013 ; University of Malaya
Arndt Graf ; Higher Education in Malaysia:APEX Initiative and World Class University ; Friday, October 16, 2015 ; Frankfurt am Main