When Ooi Li Hsien participated in an exchange stint in the US for two semesters from August 2009 to May 2010 under the prestigious Fulbright scholarship programme, it ended up being a truly life-changing experience.

The senior lecturer from Wawasan Open University’s (WOU) School of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences (SEHS) was recently given the privilege of recounting his enlightening Fulbright journey. Intriguingly, it allowed him to become familiar with online learning.

“I was placed at Minnesota State University, Mankato,” he recalled. “I took master’s level courses while I was an undergraduate and that was the beginning of my exposure to online learning as my professors then were experimenting with various online platforms to deliver their lessons. I was also exposed to research and learned up on referencing and academic writing.”

The programme also had a community service component where he was required to be involved with the community. “I took the opportunity to visit a correctional centre and shared about Malaysia,” he said.

“I was also the founding committee of the World Languages Society under the International Office where a group of us international students taught various languages to the community. We shared our cultures and the community brought food to share with us. It was a very nice bonding experience.”

Ooi was sharing his personal recollections during the MACEE@60 Conference themed Exploring Opportunities in Higher Education with Fulbright Malaysia and the United States. The event was held at the Ministry of Higher Education’s (MOHE) headquarters in Putrajaya on 9 February 2023. It was attended by senior leaders and representatives of higher education institutions.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the setting-up of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE), which oversees the Fulbright Malaysia programme. Ooi is an alumnus of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Programme (Global UGRAD), which is implemented under the Fulbright Malaysia Programme. It targets outstanding Malaysian undergraduate students. Besides the cost of the round trip, the scholarship covers monthly allowance, lodging and food, and health insurance.