Xiamen University Special: Students set to flock to an academic home from home

Zhang Ying, who has been dealing with administrative and teaching affairs on the campus since April last year, has experience of the potential pitfalls.

"A very simple example in terms of cultural differences is that more than half of Malaysia's population is Muslim, and they need to pray five times a day. Xiamen University Malaysia has to follow other universities in the country and set up prayer rooms for staff and students," she said.

"Details like these can pass unnoticed meaning relevant measures are only taken after arriving in the country."

The recruitment of faculty members is also challenging, according to Zhang Ying. To offer top-quality education, the campus needs more high-quality teaching staff, but salaries in Malaysia aren't yet competitive enough to attract large numbers of qualified candidates, especially from developed countries.

However, Haw, the Malaysian assistant professor who has worked at the campus since it opened, said he has witnessed the administrators' efforts to win greater recognition from local students and staff, and he has been impressed by the rapid development of the campus.

"We are only halfway through the battle to build the campus in Malaysia. There is still a long way to go, but things are improving all the time," he said.