Rankings: Malaysia back in top 200
2009/10/11
SUZIEANA UDA NAGU and NURJEHAN MOHAMED
University of Malaya has managed to improve its position in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings this year, report SUZIEANA UDA NAGU and NURJEHAN MOHAMED
HARVARD University, United States continues to reign supreme in the global higher education scene by topping the Times Higher Education-QS (THE-QS) World University Rankings this year.
It is followed by University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Yale University, US; University College London, UK; University of Oxford, UK; Imperial College, UK; University of Chicago, US; Princeton University, US; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US; and California Institute of Technology, US.
In Malaysia, University of Malaya (UM) returns to the world’s top 200 after a two-year absence — climbing 50 spots from last year’s 230th to this year’s 180th.
It is followed by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, which improved its ranking of 356th last year to 320th this year.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), however, fell between one and 41 spots from last year.
UKM was at 250th spot and is now at 291st; USM fell from 313th to 314th; whereas UPM went from 320th to 345th.
The number of Asian universities in the top 100 has increased from 14 to 16 institutions.
The University of Tokyo, Japan at the 22nd spot, is the highest ranked Asian university, ahead of University of Hong Kong at 24th spot.
Other top ranking universities include Kyoto University, Japan (25th) and National University of Singapore (30th).
QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli says governments and universities around the world are investing to increase their profile on the international stage, as higher education becomes an increasingly global industry.
“Today the rankings are used by employers identifying from where to recruit, academics choosing where to work and with whom to form partnerships, and by parents and students looking to make a sound education decision.
“Although rankings are contentious, the THE-QS World University Rankings are meeting vital needs of these various stakeholders,” he says.
UM vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon told the New Straits Times that getting back into the top 200 and subsequently the top 100 — something it enjoyed in 2004 when it claimed the 89th spot — in the next five years required, among others, “hiring lecturers whose works are cited in the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) journal.
“That means they have to do quality research as only then will they be published. Once their works are published and cited in the ISI journal, we will get a lot of citations. It will help improve our ratings.”
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin praised UM for its good work whereas Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said that UM had worked on its weaknesses to better its world ranking.
At a meeting with some 150 UM alumni in January, Ghauth highlighted the areas in which UM must improve on — quality of research and publications; academic staff and students; programmes and delivery; international collaboration and networking; and entrepreneurship development.
UM, which currently has 300 foreign lecturers, will continue to hire highly qualified lecturers from the US, UK and Australia.
It will also work on attracting more international postgraduate students. Currently, there are 1,000 students from the Middle East, India, China, Indonesia and Sudan completing their master’s degree at the university.
Now in its sixth edition, the THE-QS World University Rankings received a record level of responses from the academic community and employers this year, with results suggesting the dominance of traditionally elite universities is increasingly being challenged.
In total 9,386 academics (compared to 6,354 in 2008 — an increase of 47 per cent) and 3,281 employers (compared to 2,339 last year — an increase of 40 per cent) responded to the surveys reflecting the growing influence and importance of the rankings
It is followed by University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Yale University, US; University College London, UK; University of Oxford, UK; Imperial College, UK; University of Chicago, US; Princeton University, US; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US; and California Institute of Technology, US.
In Malaysia, University of Malaya (UM) returns to the world’s top 200 after a two-year absence — climbing 50 spots from last year’s 230th to this year’s 180th.
It is followed by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, which improved its ranking of 356th last year to 320th this year.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), however, fell between one and 41 spots from last year.
UKM was at 250th spot and is now at 291st; USM fell from 313th to 314th; whereas UPM went from 320th to 345th.
The number of Asian universities in the top 100 has increased from 14 to 16 institutions.
The University of Tokyo, Japan at the 22nd spot, is the highest ranked Asian university, ahead of University of Hong Kong at 24th spot.
Other top ranking universities include Kyoto University, Japan (25th) and National University of Singapore (30th).
QS managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli says governments and universities around the world are investing to increase their profile on the international stage, as higher education becomes an increasingly global industry.
“Today the rankings are used by employers identifying from where to recruit, academics choosing where to work and with whom to form partnerships, and by parents and students looking to make a sound education decision.
“Although rankings are contentious, the THE-QS World University Rankings are meeting vital needs of these various stakeholders,” he says.
UM vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon told the New Straits Times that getting back into the top 200 and subsequently the top 100 — something it enjoyed in 2004 when it claimed the 89th spot — in the next five years required, among others, “hiring lecturers whose works are cited in the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) journal.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin praised UM for its good work whereas Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said that UM had worked on its weaknesses to better its world ranking.
At a meeting with some 150 UM alumni in January, Ghauth highlighted the areas in which UM must improve on — quality of research and publications; academic staff and students; programmes and delivery; international collaboration and networking; and entrepreneurship development.
UM, which currently has 300 foreign lecturers, will continue to hire highly qualified lecturers from the US, UK and Australia.
It will also work on attracting more international postgraduate students. Currently, there are 1,000 students from the Middle East, India, China, Indonesia and Sudan completing their master’s degree at the university.
Now in its sixth edition, the THE-QS World University Rankings received a record level of responses from the academic community and employers this year, with results suggesting the dominance of traditionally elite universities is increasingly being challenged.
In total 9,386 academics (compared to 6,354 in 2008 — an increase of 47 per cent) and 3,281 employers (compared to 2,339 last year — an increase of 40 per cent) responded to the surveys reflecting the growing influence and importance of the rankings
Friday May 15, 2009
Very proud of UPM’s ranking
CONGRATULATIONS to the academicians, students and staff of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) for having been ranked one of the top five Malaysian universities and for clinching a place among the top 100 in Asia.
This is indeed a remarkable achievement for a university which had humble beginnings as an agricultural university. Today UPM has progressed to become one of the distinguished universities in the region attracting students, scholars and scientists from all over the world.
NST MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2006
UPM: Top 80 By 2010
Then, I also read in the New Straits Times that Universiti Putra Malaysia seeks to become a top 80 university in the world in 5 years' time. The newly Universiti Putra Malaysia Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah, after thecontroversial resignation of the previous vice-chancellor, wants world ranking for the institution.
His dream is for UPM to be among the top 80 universities in the world and top 20 in Asia. Nik Mustapha said these were attainable using the institution’s eight-point plan that began in 2000 and ends in 2010.The new vice-chancellor went on to boast that "62 per cent of our 2,400 academic staff have doctoral degrees. Seventy-five per cent of our graduates gained employment upon completing their studies."
I'm really not sure if the above numbers are anything to be proud of. Maybe Kian Ming will have a better idea - as he's more of an academic than I am :-). However, if only 75% of UPM graduates "gained employment" upon completing their studies, that actually means that UPM is contributing some 3,000 graduates annually to the unemployment pool!
I would suggest that the new vice-chancellor set more realistic targets to be achieved within the next 5 years instead of one which is meant to please his political master. We have already seen how the vice-chancellor of Malaysia's premier university fall flat on his face in the rankings debacle at the end of last year, so we really do not need another "leading" university in the country to perform another stunt like that.
More interestingly, he announced in the Star that "I will continue with the policies of my predecessor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zohadie Bardaie." This however, begs quite a few questions. If the policies of the predecessor is worthy of continuation, why did the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh choose to have him "removed"? In addition, would a continuation of the previous vice-chancellor's policies help UPM achieve a top 80 ranking in the world university's league?
UPM is celebrating it's 75th anniversary this year, and it appears that the vice-chancellor is taking a leaf of the book of his peer, Datuk Kapten Professor Dr Hashim Yaakob, who launched in a grand scale Universiti Malaya's centennial celebrations last year.
The new vice-chancellor plans to build a new clock tower, estimated to cost RM1mil, will be built on the campus, near the administrative building.
“We hope to have the ground breaking ceremony during the official launch... Tiles will be sold to the public. Students will pay RM75 for each tile to be placed on the clock tower while staff members and alumni will pay RM175 and corporate sponsors RM1,075.”I am brimming with confidence about the new leadership in UPM already.
Prof Dr Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah's contract runs out at the end of 2008, a year or so before 2010. Maybe if UPM doesn't achieve the remarkable Top 80 rankings, the blame can be placed squarely on the next vice-chancellor.
High hope from the alumni. When UPM become top university in the world the alumni also feel good and marketable. BUT what UPM should do? We may need to look back to the history and tradition of UPM.
1 comment:
go UPM ahead without turning back
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