PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) continue their lead as the country’s top-performing tertiary education institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
UM maintained its pole position as the country’s top institution, advancing to the 251-300 band in the 2024 edition of the rankings from the 351-400 band last year.
Following close behind is Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, which made significant gains by achieving the 301-350 band from the 401-500 band last year.
UM said the historic milestone demonstrated its strong global presence, with a place among the top 10% of universities worldwide in terms of international outlook.
“Additionally, it ranked within the top 15%, 20% and 25% for teaching, research environment, and research quality, respectively,” it said in a statement yesterday.
It added that it was committed to further enhancing its standing, particularly in industry engagement, where it ranked in the top 40%.
UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor attributed the milestone to the entire varsity community, including staff, students, university partners and collaborators, for their unwavering commitment and contributions.
“This achievement is a source of immense pride for UM, its students, and the dedicated faculty members who have tirelessly contributed to this success,” he said.
UTP vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib said the varsity took immense pride in its significant rise in the rankings.
“We are honoured to maintain our position as Malaysia’s leading private university within these rankings.
“This achievement serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to advancing academic excellence, nurturing pioneering research, and enhancing the overall student experience. These efforts are all part of our ongoing journey to establish ourselves as a globally prominent and sustainable institution.
“Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to PETRONAS, our academic and industry partners, as well as our staff and students, for their steadfast support, dedication and commitment,” he said.
The latest edition of the rankings, released yesterday, saw a record number of six Malaysian universities make it into the top 500 of the THE World University Rankings.
The other four universities in the top 500 are Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
UUM maintained its position in the 401-500 band, while the other institutions moved up from the 601-800 band.
THE chief global affairs officer Phil Baty said Malaysian universities made significant gains in the THE World University Rankings 2024 with almost every institution in the top 10 making big improvements.
“The country, impressively, now has six universities in the top 500,” he added.
Of the 23 Malaysian universities that were ranked, up from 22 last year, 12 gained improvements in their rankings, seven maintained their positions, and one newcomer entered straight into the top 1,500 band.
The other Malaysian institutions that improved their rankings are Universiti Putra Malaysia (501-600); Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Sunway University and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (601-800); as well as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (1,001-1,200).
Maintaining their respective rankings, besides UUM, are Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (1,001-1,200); Multimedia University, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (1,201-1,500); as well as Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (1501+).
Also making the 20th year of the rankings are Universiti Malaysia Perlis and newcomer Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (1,201-1,500); as well as Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (1,501+).
The rankings assessed research-intensive universities across 18 performance indicators – up from 13 last year – grouped into five pillars: teaching, research quality, research environment, international outlook and industry.
A record number of 1,904 universities from 108 countries and regions were ranked in the 2024 edition of the rankings.
Globally, Oxford University in the United Kingdom retained the top spot for the eighth consecutive year, with Stanford University taking second place, making it the top-ranked university in the United States, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, in third place.
China has the best-ranked universities overall in Asia, which is the most represented continent, with 737 universities participating.
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