Impact of Malaysian students` exchange diplomacy on Thai grantees, 2008-2012

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the Malaysian student exchange diplomacy on Thai grantees, who received the Sixty Malaysian Government Scholarships to study in secondary schools in Malaysia between 2008-2012. It uses a combination of methods in data collection, namely documentary study, non-participant observation, survey and unstructured interview. It finds that there are at least three impacts of the Malaysian exchange diplomacy. Firstly, it helps create a positive opinion of Malaysia and Malaysia’s image as a middle power country. Secondly, it assists in increasing the knowledge and understanding of the Malaysian culture, whereby, reducing hostile stereotypes. Thirdly, it helps create the Thai grantees’ role as cultural mediators, who can raise knowledge about culture and correct the misunderstanding between the people of the host and home countries. In addition, this study finds three factors that contribute to the role of the cultural mediator, namely: the multicultural networks; the intercultural competence; and the knowledge of the host country’s culture. This study also affirms the increasing influence of Malaysia’s “soft power” among the Thai grantees via the attractiveness of the Malaysian culture