14/10/2025

TUESDAY | OCT 14, 2025

EDUCATION 25

Best choice for exchange programme W HEN Marie Cassagne from France heard about her univer sity’s international exchange pro gramme, she knew it presented a rare opportunity to embrace a different cul ture. Marie made many new friends in Malaysia during her international exchange with MSU and carries back good memories to France. o MSU successfully hosts a French international student food. Instead of just one type of food, there is Malay, Chinese and Indian food and it is different from France, which has mostly European food. What is your favourite food in Malaysia? Before I came here, I tried a dish with rice and sweet chicken; I think it was hainanese chicken rice. I also love “chinese roti beef”, also known as beef pau. It was so delicious.

Of course, I do miss cheese and baguettes from France, but I will also miss Malaysian food when I go back. How does studying at MSU compare to France? In Malaysia, I can just send a message on whatsapp to my lecturers and receive a prompt reply. That really helped me a lot. The students were also very welcoming. One of my classmates has become a close friend and sometimes we grab a drink together and chat about life in France. Some students even gave me gifts since I’m going back to France in two weeks. Do you notice any major differences or surprising similarities? In terms of education, I think it’s quite similar. What surprised me was how relaxed and flexible things are here. I like this feeling because it feels more comfortable and personal. The closeness with the teachers has really helped me do well in my classes. What has been your most memorable or meaningful experience in Malaysia? I joined a big MSU student activity where we went to Melaka for a full-day trip. It was a great opportunity to meet other students. At first, I mostly stayed with my classmates because I was a bit shy, but after that trip, I started participating more in other events. One of my most special memories was celebrating “Iftar” and “Eid” for the first time. In France, I don’t have many Muslim friends, so it was new for me. My good friend here explained everything about the Muslim religion and traditions. For more information on undergraduate programmes offered at MSU, please call 603-5521 6868, email enquiry@msu.edu.my or visit www.msu.edu.my.

She chose Malaysia for its vibrant and diverse culture, rich traditions and warm tropical climate. Currently she is pursuing a degree in human capital management under the faculty of business management and professional studies at Management and Science University (MSU). Marie has embraced student life as an exchange student, exploring new flavours, forging lasting friendships, while celebrating traditions she has never experienced before. She shares her journey as an exchange student, experiencing the cultural surprises along the way and the memories she will cherish when she returns to France. Why did you choose Malaysia for your studies? I felt drawn to Malaysia and started creating visuals about the food, culture,and weather. I really felt this was the right country for me. I also wanted to improve my English, and since almost everyone here speaks English, it was a perfect choice. As for choosing MSU, I was studying human resources (HR) back in France and my future career could be in HR. That was when I saw the subjects offered at MSU for HR and they all looked interesting. That’s the main reason I chose MSU for my international exchange studies. What cultural differences surprised you the most? For me, the biggest difference between France and Malaysia was the number of malls. In Malaysia, one can go to a mall, where one can eat, shop, or watch a movie. In France, we have malls too, but they are mostly for shopping. If one wants to eat, it’s usually at an outdoor terrace. The next difference is the weather and the