Rebecca Rajaendram

Just a soul out to make a difference in society, one story at a time. I'm a reporter at The Star Malaysia with a passion for education

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Articles

‘Harvard is not be-all and end-all’

1 month ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

M’sians can find similar options in other top varsitiesPETALING JAYA: Other higher education opportunities still exist in and out of the United States besides just Harvard University, say academics. Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee said students still have the option to apply to other US universities.
Making science fun to attract the students

1 month ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: Evangelene Teoh was told by her relatives to stay away from the science subjects – but she went ahead and took up biology in Form Four. The 17-year-old has no regrets. And she has her teachers to thank for it. “My Physics teacher often conducts simple yet relatable experiments that connect to our everyday lives, while my Biology teacher is like a ‘walking biological dictionary’, always ready with answers, even beyond the textbook,” said the SMK Assunta student.
Online classes will ease disruption during road closures, says Higher Education Ministry

1 month ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: All private and public higher education institutions (HEIs) around the Klang Valley have the option of conducting classes either online or face-to-face during the 46th Asean Summit. The Higher Education Ministry said the decision was made after taking into account the implementation of road closures and security controls that will happen around Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya in conjunction with the Summit happening next week.
The Star bags top awards at Agrobank Media Awards 2025

1 month ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: The Star bagged the two top awards for the Print Media and News Portal category at the Agrobank Media Awards 2025 last night. Star Media Group (SMG) education journalist Rebecca Grace Rajaendram, 36, was named the winner of the Best News Article award while StarMetro chief reporter Jade Chan, 43, won the Best Features Article, with each receiving RM5,000 and a trophy at the awards ceremony.
Malaysian university breaks into top 50 in Asia

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian university has entered the top 50 Asian universities for the first time, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2025. Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) has climbed nine places to 43rd in Asia, sharing the rank with South Korea's Hanyang University. Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya (UM) moves up one spot to 64th, making it the country’s second highest-ranked institution.
Where are the men?

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram |Yuen Meikeng

ALMOST three-quarters (72.4%) of Malaysia’s health and welfare sector comprise female graduates, making it the most women-dominated field in the country (see infographic). Women, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap 2024 Insight Report, also make up the majority of graduates in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, education as well as arts and humanities.
INTERACTIVE: Female graduates outnumbered in engineering, but lead in health courses

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Yuen Meikeng |Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: Female engineers are quite a rare group in Malaysia, making up only 27% of graduates in the field. But while women are the minority in the profession, the situation is improving. Data from the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) shows that there’s a higher portion of women in their ranks today - from 20% of members in 2022, women in IEM now make up 25% as of March this year.
KKK outfits part of assignment to instil critical thinking, says UiTM

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: Ku Klux Klan (KKK) costumes were part of an assignment to instil critical thinking and raise awareness on human rights issues at the international level, says Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). The university said the students chose to present issues related to racial discrimination and hatred based on skin colour, which are among the human rights violations that have occurred in several countries.
Closing the learning divide

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Rebecca Rajaendram

HOW well students perform in their studies hinges significantly on their socioeconomic backgrounds. The correlation may seem like a given, but results from two of the most recent global benchmarking studies reveal just how stark the reality is. According to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023, students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds scored, on average, 67 points lower than their peers from high SES backgrounds.
INTERACTIVE: Malaysia’s Maths and Science assessment reveals education divide

2 months ago | thestar.com.my | Diyana Pfordten |Rebecca Rajaendram

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s lower than average performance in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was weighed down by the poorer performance of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.