UTP is top private uni in rankings
UNIVERSITI Teknologi Petronas (UTP) is Malaysia’s top private university as it’s in the top 100 in the 2019 edition of the QS University Rankings: Asia. It is ranked 99th compared to 101st previously. UTP vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib said the 99th position is the institution’s highest achievement in the QS University Rankings: Asia. Since its debut in 2014, the university has improved significantly in the rankings by leapfrogging 92 places.
“The analysis into the ranking results showed significant improvements in three indicators, namely papers per faculty, international faculty and inbound and outbound exchange students, which placed the university into the top 100,” he said.
The first indicator provides an indication of the overall research productivity of the university, the second reflects the university’s internationalisation and the final indicates the size of each institution’s inbound and outbound student exchange programmes.
“Moving forward, we will continue our primary focus in providing superior academic programmes, innovative research and enriching student experiences in our quest towards global prominence. Our goal now is to claim the top 50 spot in the rankings by 2020,” he said.
QS director of research Ben Sowter said Malaysian universities have gone through a decade of growth in these rankings.
QS use 11 indicators to compile the ranking, which measure academic recognition, employer recognition, commitment to teaching, research impact and productivity, and internationalisation. These are Academic Reputation; Employer Reputation; Faculty/Student Ratio; Staff with PhD; Citations per Paper; Papers per Faculty; International Research Network; International Faculty Ratio; International Student Ratio; Inbound Exchange Students and Outbound Exchange Students.
Asked about the private universities in the rankings, Sowter said Malaysian institutions on balance have performed well in the new International Research indicator, which shows that they are making research partnerships with a range of universities in different locations.
“They have also seen improvements in academic and employer reputations; this reflects the increased engagement, significance and finances that the Education Ministry and universities in the region are putting on higher education in Malaysia,” he added.
Growing from strength to strength
Multimedia University (MMU) moved four places to 175th place in the rankings, said its president Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Rafi Mohamed Eshaq.
“The QS rankings serves as a testament of MMU’s quality of education, especially in the niche areas of Information and Communications Technology, Engineering, Creative Multimedia and Business.
“At MMU, we place great emphasis on developing our students holistically,” he said.
Taylor’s University vice-chancel- lor and president Prof Michael J. Driscoll said that the performance shown by Taylor’s University in the annual rankings exercise; rising from 150 to 135 and showing better standing with employers through the gain in the employer reputation indicator; is proof that its approach to teaching and learning resonates well with students and top players in the industry.
“In order to achieve the aim of being within the top 100 universities in Asia by 2022, the university will be strengthening its research capabilities while also developing strategic partnerships,” he said.
UCSI University vice-chancellor and president Senior Prof Datuk Dr Khalid Yusoff welcomed the 34-spot climb, describing it as further indication of the outcome of measures to enhance its academic strengths.
“The rise in UCSI’s international profile over the past year is most encouraging,” he said. UCSI University is in 178th spot this year.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman president Prof Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik said the rankings should be taken in the right spirit for further improvement.
“We should not forget the vision and mission of the university, and the fundamentals of education,” he added. The institution jumped to 188 this year.
Universiti Malaya (UM) continues to climb up the international university rankings ladder.
Malaysia’s oldest varsity has achieved an overall rank of 19, reflecting an improved performance from 24 last year.
Since 2014, UM has gained 13 places, and now sits among the top 4% of universities in Asia.
UM vice-chancellor Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim said that UM’s continuous efforts in strengthening research, internationalisation as well as industry engagement over the past few years are yielding positive results.
He said that the university will continue to emphasise on its primary focus to establish stronger academic fundamentals, intensify international research collaborations and enhance academic-industry partnerships.
This success, he added, was due to the commitment of all UM staff to achieve the goals set in the University’s Strategic Plan and also the continuous support of the Education Ministry.
The latest edition of the rankings features all five of Malaysia’s research universities among the top 50 in Asia.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali said: “We are proud and happy to witness global recognition on our achievement.”
“It is very critical for us to assure that our ranking progress is felt by all stakeholders-scholarly community, industry, government and also the community,” he said.
UKM climbed two spots to 41 in this year’s rankings while Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) jumped 21 spaces to 137.
UiTM vice-chancellor Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Hassan Said said this is the university’s best ranking to date.
“This achievement proves that the university enjoys the continuous confidence of employers in producing quality graduates that meet current corporate needs,” he said.
The rankings were released on Wednesday and include the region’s 500 best universities.
UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris said the university achieved high scores in international research network, international faculty and international students.
“UPM has continuously shown a positive performance for the past five years,” she said.
For more information, visit https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asian-university-rankings/2019.