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Educational loan defaulting is a problem increasing on a worldwide scale. In Malaysia, the default rate is almost 50% in the case of loans advanced to students in higher education. With this in mind, for the first time, this study analyses this chronic problem in-depth with consideration to primary data collected from a cross-section of students currently studying in public universities in Malaysia. With help from the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the empirical analysis establishes that loan defaults are influenced by a complex interaction of personal-, social- and psychology-related variables: students’ attitude, intention to repay loan, parental influence, perceptions that loan repayment will affect quality of life after graduation, perceptions towards loan agreement, and an awareness of loan repayment issues created by the media. This study succeeds in disentangling the precise impact of such variables in regard to loan defaults. The findings are of great relevance to government-funding agencies, which can better plan the loan advancement and recovery process once they understand the true reasons behind defaults. The novel method utilised for the first time with the objective to study the default issue should also be useful to academic researchers seeking to conduct similar studies in the context of other countries. This study should also assist policy makers in planning long-term strategies in terms of assessing, designing and evaluating new loan schemes. Developing countries, such as Malaysia, face competing demands on their limited financial resources. An increase in the recovery rate will bring in funds that can be lent to additional students or used for strengthening educational infrastructure. These measures add useful value to the social and economic set-up of the country.

This diploma thesis deals with relations between Soviet Union and Egypt in 1960's and 1970's, with focus on Soviet economic and military aid to this Arabian country. Soviet Union is perceived as a protector superpower, while Egypt is a client state, which receives generous financial and material aid. This work maps particular pe-riods of Soviet economic aid since early 1960's, when some great economic projects were gradually realized (Aswan Dam, Helwan metallurgic complex), the attention is also decicated to arms supplies and modernization of Egyptian army. The first break point influencing mutual relations is Egyptian defeat in Six-Day War in 1967, after which president Nasser was willing to deepen relations with Moscow and even to grant durable Soviet military presence on the Egyptian territory. The period after the inauguration of new president Anwar Sadat in 1970 can be characterized as gradual worsening of mutual relations. The aim of this thesis is to describe particular aspects of Soviet aid and evaluate it in scope of broader political and strategic interests of USSR.