MACEE Fulbright

What MACEE Fulbright does

The Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) is a nonprofit binational commission established on January 28, 1963 under an agreement between the Governments of Malaysia and the United States. Operating from Kuala Lumpur with 13 staff, MACEE is the sole designated administrator of the Fulbright Program in Malaysia and is one of only 49 Fulbright Commissions worldwide. Its function is to facilitate bilateral educational and cultural exchange by selecting, funding, and placing scholars, students, researchers, and teachers between Malaysian and U.S. institutions.

MACEE administers a portfolio of nine Fulbright-aligned programs plus one non-Fulbright exchange. For Malaysian citizens, offerings include the Graduate Study & Research, Scholar, Professional Exchange, Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA), Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, U.S.-ASEAN Visiting Scholar, Global UGRAD, and Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) programs. For U.S. citizens, MACEE runs the Scholar-In-Residence and U.S. Specialist programs (2–6 week collaborations with Malaysian institutions). A complementary service, USAPPS, is a workshop program helping Malaysian students navigate U.S. university applications. Approximately 35 Malaysians are awarded Fulbright scholarships annually; over 60 years, MACEE has sent 1,000+ Malaysians to the U.S. and hosted 2,000+ Americans.

The revenue model is not commercial. MACEE is funded through a binational cost-sharing arrangement between the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) and Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education. Funds flow through as grants to successful applicants — they are not priced services. The go-to-market is event-driven: university engagement tours, state-led engagement sessions across Malaysian states, the annual MACEE@60 conference cycle, alumni programming through the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM), and a direct website application channel (macee.org.my), supplemented by LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. Programs were renewed bilaterally for 2025–2035 and 11+ MOUs with Malaysian universities anchor the institutional distribution channel.

Name

MACEE Fulbright

Legal name

Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE)

Website

https://macee.org.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MACEE is the Kuala Lumpur-headquartered binational commission that administers Fulbright educational exchange programs between Malaysia and the United States, funding Malaysian scholars to study in the U.S. and hosting American scholars at Malaysian institutions, operating with 13 staff under a 2025–2035 bilateral renewal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Exchange Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF), Country/Region-Specific Scholarships (Inbound/Outbound) (EDAIAOAC), Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN)

Keywords

• Educational exchange programs
• Fulbright scholarship administration
• Binational education commission
• Academic scholarship grants
• International research fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Bilateral Funding: MACEE operates as a binational commission funded through agreements between the Malaysian and U.S. governments. The organization administers Fulbright scholarships which are grant-based programs funded by both governments to facilitate educational exchange between the two nations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MACEE administers the Fulbright Program in Malaysia, a portfolio of grant-funded educational exchange opportunities that enable Malaysian citizens to study, teach, and conduct research in the United States, and bring American scholars, researchers, and teachers to Malaysia. The commission screens applicants, awards scholarships, and coordinates with host universities on both ends, sending approximately 35 Malaysian grantees to the U.S. per year and hosting American grantees under multiple Fulbright programs.

Product overview

MACEE Fulbright is an educational exchange organization offering a portfolio of 8 Fulbright programs and 1 non-Fulbright program for Malaysians to study, teach, and conduct research in the U.S., along with programs for Americans coming to Malaysia. The core offerings include the Graduate Study & Research Program, Scholar Program, FLTA Program, Professional Exchange Program, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, Scholar-In-Residence Program, U.S.-ASEAN Visiting Scholar Program, Global UGRAD Exchange Program, Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program, and U.S. Specialist Program. Additionally, the USAPPS service provides application assistance for Malaysian students seeking to study in U.S. universities. The organization facilitates approximately 35 grantees annually from Malaysia to the U.S. and receives American grantees under 3 Fulbright programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study & Research Program
• Fulbright Malaysian Scholar Program A grant-funded program for Malaysian scholars, professors, and professionals to conduct research or teach at U.S. institutions.
• Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program A grant-funded program that provides English language teaching opportunities for native speakers of other languages at U.S. institutions.
• Fulbright Malaysian Professional Exchange Program A grant-funded program for Malaysian professionals to engage in exchange activities in the United States.
• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program A grant-funded, non-degree academic program for mid-career professionals from designated countries to study at U.S. universities.
• Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence (SIR) Program A grant-funded program that brings U.S. scholars and professionals to teach at Malaysian institutions.
• Fulbright U.S.-ASEAN Visiting Scholar Program A grant-funded program for U.S. scholars to visit and engage with ASEAN institutions, including Malaysia.
• Global UGRAD Exchange Program A non-Fulbright, grant-funded program that provides undergraduate exchange opportunities for students from around the world to study in the United States.
• Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program A grant-funded program for international teachers to participate in professional development programs at U.S. universities, focusing on teaching methodologies and subject matter expertise.
• Fulbright U.S. Specialist Program A grant-funded program that provides grants to Malaysian institutions to host U.S. specialists for short-term collaborative projects lasting 2–6 weeks.
• USAPPS (U.S. Applications) Workshop Service A workshop service helping Malaysian students navigate the application process for U.S. universities.
• Awards to the U.S. (Malaysian Citizens)
• Awards to Malaysia (U.S. Citizens) Grant opportunities for U.S. citizens to come to Malaysia as Fulbright scholars, researchers, English Teaching Assistants, and specialists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 Malaysians sent to the U.S. and 2,000 Americans hosted in Malaysia over 60 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Embassy Kuala LumpurcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025The U.S. Embassy, represented by U.S. Ambassador, participates in Fulbright program ceremonies and renewals. The bilateral Fulbright Agreement between Malaysia and the U.S. was renewed for another 10 years (2025-2035).
• University Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2025MACEE and UMT signed an MoU to strengthen global cooperation and facilitate educational exchange programs.
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2025MACEE and UiTM signed an MoU to strengthen educational cooperation and promote Fulbright programs among UiTM students and staff.
• Malaysian Public and Private Universities (11 MOUs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023MACEE signed 11 Memoranda of Understanding with various Malaysian public and private universities to enhance collaboration and foster academic exchange opportunities between Malaysia and the United States. The signing ceremony was officiated by Secretary General of Ministry of Higher Education, Dato' Seri Abdul Razak Jaafar.
• Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2023USM collaborated with MACEE to host a Fulbright sharing session as part of MACEE@60 State Led Engagement series, organized by the American Chemical Society USM International Student Chapter.
• Universiti Teknologi MARA Pulau Pinang (UiTM Pulau Pinang)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2023UiTM Pulau Pinang organized a Fulbright Alumni State-led Engagement Talk on 'Empowering Excellence Through Fulbright' with over 400 participants, featuring MACEE Executive Director Curtis Johnson.
• Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2023MACEE visited UTAR Sungai Long Campus to promote Fulbright programs and discuss scholarship and grant opportunities for UTAR students and staff. UTAR President expressed commitment to collaborate and provide Fulbright program access.
• Government of Malaysia (Ministry of Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 1963MACEE was established through binational agreement signed between Malaysia and the United States. The Malaysian government, through the Ministry of Higher Education, provides oversight and support for MACEE operations.
• Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAAM is a registered alumni association formed in 1998 that galvanizes the interests of Malaysian and U.S. Fulbright community. The association supports MACEE's mission and helps promote programs through alumni network.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency): JICA administers Japan's government-sponsored training, scholarship, and technical cooperation programmes across Asia, including inbound and outbound flows with Malaysia. It overlaps with MACEE on scholarship administration in the same region.
• Campus France: Campus France is the French national agency promoting higher education in France and managing French government scholarships abroad. It is a comparable government-sponsored international education promotion and scholarship entity.

Direct peers

• Institute of International Education (IIE): IIE is the U.S.-based nonprofit that co-administers the Fulbright Program from the American side and designs international scholarship and exchange policy. It is the structural counterpart to MACEE and the closest direct peer in mandate and operating model.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): DAAD is Germany's national agency for international academic cooperation, funding scholarships and exchange between Germany and partner countries. It is comparable as a large, government-aligned international education grantmaking body.
• Fulbright Thailand: Thailand–U.S. Fulbright Foundation is one of the 49 binational Fulbright Commissions and an operational twin to MACEE, administering the same Fulbright portfolio under a parallel U.S. State Department framework in a neighbouring ASEAN country.
• British Council (Malaysia): The British Council operates the UK's cultural and educational exchange presence in Malaysia, including administration of Chevening and GREAT Scholarships. It mirrors MACEE's bilateral mission and event-driven GTM in the same geography.
• Australia Awards (DFAT): Australia Awards is the Australian government's international scholarships and fellowships scheme administered by DFAT. It is structurally equivalent to Fulbright — bilateral, government-funded, and actively recruiting Malaysian talent.
• Chevening Scholarships (UK Foreign Office): Chevening is the UK government's flagship international scholarship programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. It directly competes with Fulbright for the same pool of elite Malaysian outbound candidates.

Emerging players

• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a global nonprofit operating intercultural exchange and scholarship programmes in 60+ countries. It is comparable as an international education exchange operator with similar binational programming, though privately funded rather than government-sponsored.

Regional players

• MTCP (Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme): MTCP is the Malaysian government's flagship technical cooperation and scholarship framework for participants from developing countries. It is a domestic counterpart sharing funder relationships with the Ministry of Higher Education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MACEE_Fulbright
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@maceefulbright
• Facebookfacebook.com/FulbrightMY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macee-fulbright
• Instagraminstagram.com/fulbright.my

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MACEE Fulbright