The Plaza at INTI International College Subang took on the feel of an American country fair on 23 September 2026 as INTI’s Center for American Education (CAE) celebrated 40 years of helping students begin an American education from Malaysia.
Guests, alumni, students, staff and partners come together to celebrate the 40th anniversary of INTI’s Center for American Education (CAE) at The Plaza of INTI International College Subang.
The event featured bull riding, ring toss, mini golf, basketball, and a giant game of Snakes and Ladders, with hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy adding to the atmosphere. At the INTI Gallery, guests also viewed artworks and poetry by psychology students exploring themes including sustainability.
But behind the celebration was a much longer story of students, families and the decisions that come with studying abroad.
CAE was established alongside INTI in 1986, when finding information about overseas universities was far less straightforward than it is today. For many Malaysian families, sending a child abroad to study could feel like a major leap into the unknown.
One of the ideas behind CAE was to make that step less daunting by allowing students to begin an American-style education in Malaysia before deciding whether to continue overseas.
More than 20,000 students have since begun their higher education through CAE. Its American Degree Transfer Programme (AUP) has supported more than 16,000 students in transferring to universities in the United States, and students can now consider more than 300 universities across the US and Canada.
The options have also grown. Through INTI’s 4+0 programme with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), students can complete an American degree in Malaysia, while others can continue their studies overseas through AUP.
These opportunities have been supported by relationships built over many years with US universities and education organisations.
Representatives from the Embassy of the United States of America in Malaysia, the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE), EducationUSA, US university partners, alumni, industry and community partners joined INTI colleagues and students for the anniversary celebration.
Guest of Honour Morgan O’Brien, Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of the United States of America in Malaysia, spoke about the connections students build when they study across borders.
“Every Malaysian student who studies in the United States is also an ambassador for Malaysia, and they become ambassadors for the United States when they return home,” said O’Brien.
“They share ideas and create connections that last long after graduation.”
He added: “We are grateful to INTI for 40 years of helping make those connections possible, and we look forward to finding even more ways to allow Malaysian students to experience the United States.”
Students play a giant game of Snakes and Ladders during the American country fair-themed celebration for CAE’s 40th anniversary.
INTI’s work in international academic collaboration was also recognised in 2003, when it became the first tertiary institution to receive the Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade from the United States Department of Commerce.
Among the alumni who returned for the anniversary was Amanda Siew, whose own path reflects one of the opportunities CAE has created for students over the years.
Amanda began her studies at INTI International College Subang in 2017 before transferring to the University of Central Oklahoma. She later pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma and is now a Television News Producer at News 9 in Oklahoma.
Looking back, Amanda said her time at INTI helped her grow more independent and gave her room to discover what interested her.
“A lot of the lecturers from different classes and different subjects really taught me to become independent. It taught me how to manage my own time, study, do my own work and find success through my own hard work,” she said.
Her involvement in the Mass Communication Society also gave her an early taste of broadcasting and helped point her towards the career she later pursued.
Returning to INTI for CAE’s 40th anniversary, Amanda described being back as “very surreal”, remembering herself as a timid student when she first arrived and thinking about how much had changed since then.
Her experience is one example of what a pathway that begins in Subang can become: university life in the United States, a career overseas and, years later, a return to where it started.
As CAE looked back on 40 years, Dr Chong Kok Wai, Chief Executive Officer of INTI International University & Colleges, said students now face a very different world from those who entered university in 1986.
“Information is available instantly, people work across borders, and artificial intelligence can produce answers within seconds. But students still need to know which questions to ask, what information they can trust and how to make sound decisions,” he said.
Guests explore artworks by INTI students at the INTI Gallery during the CAE 40th anniversary celebration.
“The next 40 years will bring changes that we cannot fully predict. Careers will take new forms, technology will continue to reshape how we live and work, and many challenges will cross disciplines and national borders.
“CAE must continue to prepare students for that reality, giving them a strong academic foundation, sound judgement and the confidence to keep learning.”