The programme began with a parent workshop and question-and-answer session covering university applications, admissions, interviews and funding. This was followed by a session for Year 11 and Year 12 students interested in leading universities, while Year 9 and Year 10 students explored how to begin planning their university journeys.
Dr Kamran Yunus, Director of Admissions at Downing College, University of Cambridge, said:
“Preparing for a highly selective university is about more than achieving excellent grades. It is about developing a genuine interest in your chosen subjects, asking thoughtful questions and being able to articulate what motivates you academically. These qualities take time to nurture, which is why early engagement with university pathways is so valuable. We hope to help students and their families better understand their opportunities and pathways to higher education and make informed decisions as they explore their academic ambitions.”
Engaging students at different stages of secondary education reinforces the importance of starting early. By exploring their interests, understanding university expectations and making purposeful subject choices, students can approach future applications with greater clarity and a stronger sense of direction.
Future-Proof Preparation: Building Stronger University Pathways
For Sri KDU International School Kota Damansara, university preparation is about more than navigating the application process. It is about helping students develop the academic independence, critical thinking and self-awareness needed to make meaningful choices about their next steps.
The Downing College partnership complements the school’s academic provision by bringing admissions insights and academic perspectives into conversations that begin well before students apply to university. This allows students to consider how their subject choices, interests and learning experiences may align with their longer-term aspirations.
It also helps families better understand the decisions involved in planning for higher education, including the expectations of competitive universities and the importance of identifying suitable academic pathways.
Through this approach, Sri KDU translates its Future-Proof Preparation promise into opportunities that help students move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
Bringing the Downing College International Programme Global Campus to Malaysia
An important dimension of the partnership will begin in July 2027, when Sri KDU Schools hosts the Downing College International Programme Global Campus in Malaysia for the first time.
The two-week programme will welcome students aged 12 to 15 for an immersive academic experience led by Cambridge academics on Sri KDU campuses. Participants will explore STEM subjects, develop their academic English through debate and drama, and receive a certificate issued by Downing College.
The programme will provide younger learners with an opportunity to engage with new academic perspectives and experience a different dimension of learning beyond their regular classroom environment. It will complement the wider partnership by extending access to academic enrichment alongside the year-round university preparation opportunities available to the school community.
Expanding Horizons. Elevating Futures.
The partnership with Downing College reinforces Sri KDU International School Kota Damansara’s commitment to top academic outcomes and Future-Proof Preparation, connecting students and families with expertise that can inform their educational choices and ambitions.
By bringing university admissions insights, academic engagement and international learning opportunities closer to students, Sri KDU continues to build an educational experience that looks beyond examination results towards the possibilities ahead.
For families considering Sri KDU, the partnership offers another dimension of support as their children explore their interests, prepare for higher education and consider pathways to leading universities around the world.
At Sri KDU, preparing students for the future means helping them understand what is possible and equipping them to pursue it with confidence.
We visited numerous international schools in Klang-Valley and Sri KDU Subang Jaya was not even on our list. Reason being it is way out of our travelling radius. However, we are glad we made the visit to the school before our final call, and it was the best decision ever! It was a huge transition period for us during the first 2 weeks into school, but the school’s team (Teachers, Administrative and Parent’s Teacher Association) made us feel right at home. We were given clear guidance and was kept well informed on the happenings in the school. My daughter blended into the community quite well with the care provided by the Homeroom teacher. All the teachers here are the kindest, as she told me. She looks forward to going to school and has become more disciplined in terms on knowing what tasks she needs to complete daily. She has gained so much confidence during this short period of time and was given the encouragement to explore and develop her abilities here. She was just selected as the new Primary House Captain for Year 6 AY2022/2023.
Every parent want to find the ‘perfect’ school for their child and are afraid of making the wrong decision. For us, as long she is safe and happy, we believe, she will eventually find the way to her own success.