Educating students to solve real-world problems
The UTMy campus at Wisma R&D, Universiti Malaya, is strategically located in the Bangsar area — just steps away from the LRT Kerinchi Station.
THE University of Tsukuba, one of Japan's top universities, opened its doors in Malaysia in September 2024, becoming the first overseas Japanese campus to award a bachelor's degree recognised in both Japan and Malaysia.
'We're pleased to be able to offer this programme at the University of Tsukuba, Malaysia (UTMy) which is attracting attention in both Malaysia and Japan,' said UTMy dean Prof Maki Tsujimura.
UTMy, strategically located in the Bangsar area of Kuala Lumpur near the expansive campus of Universiti Malaya, is currently accepting applications by Malaysian students for the 2025-2026 academic year, starting in September 2025.
UTMy offers a four-year bachelor's programme through its "School of Transdisciplinary Science and Design," with an annual enrolment cap of 40 students.
The programme is conducted in English and Japanese and all the courses can be done in Malaysia.
The programme aims to develop global talent capable of addressing complex global challenges by providing a broad education in both the humanities and sciences, with a special focus on data science, the key skill of today's society.
To achieve this goal, UTMy has a unique structure comprising outstanding Japanese professors from various disciplines, enabling the implementation of its innovative educational programmes.
UTMy students with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad celebrating the opening of UTMy in September 2024.
Problem-based learning and design thinking
UTMy's curriculum is centred on problem-based learning (PBL).
PBL is an active learning method in which students take the initiative in tackling diverse problems.
At UTMy, PBL courses are conducted continuously throughout the four years of the programme and account for 30% of the required credits.
From the first year, the students tackle wide actual problems such as water pollution or human rights.
These courses are extremely useful for acquiring problem-solving skills, which are valuable in today's global world.
UTMy's distinctive curriculum is based on 'design thinking' for problem solving. This is why the word 'design' is included in the course name.
In a complex and rapidly changing society, the ability to identify and define problems based on design thinking is crucial.
Consequently, problem-solving ability is the ultimate goal and various academic disciplines are used as tools.
"Learning with a wealth of originality can open up our future," said Ryusei Yoshida, a first-year student of UTMy.
The "Bachelor of Arts and Science" degree awarded to students at the successful completion of their four-year course of study is a Japanese degree equivalent to that from the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Recognised worldwide, this degree will open doors to many careers in diverse fields. The "Arts and Science" designation signifies the acquisition of technologies and knowledge in many academic fields and features attainment of problem-solving ability itself.
UTMy faculty members from diverse fields prioritise collaboration with universities and companies in Japan and Malaysia, enabling students to build a wide network of connections.
This is highly beneficial for future career development. While UTMy currently only offers an undergraduate course, all faculty members are also affiliated with graduate schools in Japan, allowing students to pursue postgraduate studies in Japanese graduate programmes.
UTMy's 'late specialisation' curriculum, encouraging students to take time to discover their area of expertise, is a pioneering approach which is highly suitable as an educational programme to respond to today's rapidly changing global world. "Transdisciplinarity is attractive. Many universities will follow us," said Ong Khai Sern, a student of UTMy.
Applications for the 2025-26 school year are being accepted online until June 16 for (Malaysian) students who do not require a student visa.
For more details, refer to the application guidelines on the university's website or contact UTMy directly via email.
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