Hello, my name is Hironari Kitamura from Japan. Currently, I am studying at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) in Malaysia. I would like to share with you the reasons why I decided to study abroad in Malaysia and what I liked about studying in Malaysia.

There are two main reasons why I decided to study in Malaysia. The first reason is that I thought studying in Malaysia would be a great advantage in my life. In addition, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), where I attend, has students from about 130 countries. This was a big attraction for me, as I had never been around non-Japanese people before. Secondly, the cost. At first, I thought it would be difficult to study abroad because I was planning to attend a university in Japan and my expenses were limited. That’s when I found out about studying in Malaysia. Universities in Malaysia allow students to graduate in three years, and the cost of living is cheaper, so it is possible to study abroad at a relatively low cost in Malaysia. Nevertheless, all classes are conducted in English, and it was the perfect environment for me to study English at a reduced cost.

Hironari with his international friends during his class at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

Next, I would like to share two major advantages of studying in Malaysia. The first is that I made friends from all over the world and learned their language. When I was in Japan, I was embarrassed about speaking English to foreigners since I couldn’t speak English well, so I didn’t get involved with foreigners and had very few foreign friends. But now I have friends all over the world, and they offer to show me around when I come on trips. As for languages, I am living in a shared house with an Indonesian, and I have learned to speak a little Indonesian. Recently, I have also been taking Chinese lessons from my Chinese Malaysian friend, and I am slowly learning to speak it. I think this would not have been possible if I had not come to Malaysia.

The second advantage I felt when I studied in Malaysia was that I had a second home. It was my first time studying abroad so, to be honest, I was worried about living abroad. However, Malaysians are kind and they treated me kindly even though I could barely speak English when I started my study abroad. I have never felt discrimination in Malaysia, which is often heard of when studying abroad. Also, there are many high-rise buildings in Malaysia. My house is also a skyscraper, and I love the fact that I can watch the sunrise from my room. I’ve never seen such a beautiful sunrise in Japan. Finally, as Malaysia is a tropical country, fruits such as mangoes and pineapples are very delicious. The fruits lined up in the stores change depending on the season, so I have recently made it a hobby to visit fruit stores. As you can see, Malaysia has a variety of charms that cannot be described in a single word, and I have come to love Malaysia. Even after graduating from university, I would like to come back again. I would like to invite every student around the world to come and study in Malaysia.