PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) has put Malaysia back in the top 200 of the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) – QS World University Rankings 2009 when it climbed 50 places from last year to 180 this year.
QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli said the rankings identified not just the most highly-ranked universities in the world, but also the best performing universities in key subject areas, the universities most targeted by employers, those producing the best research, those investing in teaching and those with the most international profile.
Another local university that improved in rankings was Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), standing at 320 compared to 356 last year.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) dropped between one and 41 places to 291, 314 and 345 respectively (see chart).
QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said UM’s resurgence into the top 200 was clearly impressive.
“The apparent collective effort at the university to attract a greater proportion of international students suggests a progressive outlook,” he said in an e-mail interview.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin told The Star that the ministry knew the universities’ weaknesses were in citations per faculty and peer review.
Harvard University tops the rankings once again; followed by Cambridge, Yale, University College London, Imperial College, Oxford University, Chicago University, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology. The highest ranked Asian institutions in the rankings are Tokyo University (22), Hong Kong University (24), Kyoto University (25) and National University of Singapore (30).
UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the success would be a major boost to the morale and motivation of all staff and students to work harder.
“The redefinition of key performance indicators for the academics and the new initiatives implemented in international networking, recruitment of international staff and students have produced a quick, positive impact,” he said.
UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the improvement in the university’s rankings is a result of its strategy in networking, quality, strategic research, synergy and organisational culture.
On UKM’s drop from 250 to 291, its deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Dr Hassan Basri said the university was not surprised by the drop as THE-QS had indicated that the methodological adjustments and survey dynamics would significantly contribute to a drop in the scores for the academic peer review and employer survey criteria over a three-year period starting in the year 2008.
UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah said he was surprised that the university’s rankings dropped as its achievements were better last year compared to previously.
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