The Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS WUR) 2021 has ranked the Universiti Malaya (UM) 59th globally. UM has leapt 11 spots up from 70 in 2020 and shows a consistent, steady rise in its recognition as one of the world’s leading universities in teaching and learning, research and internationalization. UM continues to demonstrate a marked improvement in its global standing over the years, from 167 in 2014 to its current position placing it among the top 5% of the 1,002 institutions reviewed globally.
The QS WUR uses the following six metrics – Academic Reputation (40%), Employer Reputation (10%), Faculty Student (20%), Citations per Faculty (20%), International Faculty (5%), and International Student (5%). Of these indicators, Citations per Faculty (ranked 241), Employer Reputation (ranked 65), International Faculty (ranked 262) and Academic Reputation (ranked 78) making the greatest strides, with improvements of 76, 27, 18 and 13 places, respectively. The Faculty Student (ranked 132) and the International Student (ranked 327) slipped 54 and 76 places, respectively. Overall, UM’s score of 70.1 showed an improvement of 4.5% from last year.
UM’s Vice-Chancellor, Datuk Ir. (Dr.) Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim expressed delight in the University’s rise in global standing and said the results were recognition of UM being a high calibre research and educational institution. He emphasized that UM’s goal is, and has always been, to strive for excellence by benchmarking itself against outstanding universities worldwide with a view to uplift Malaysian higher education as well as to enhance its reputation as a global institution of higher learning. The Vice-Chancellor also added that UM has continued its upward trajectory in the face of fiscal challenges and emphasized the wisdom and value of increased financial governmental support to UM in order to achieve excellence in the years ahead. Increased investment will enable UM to intensify international collaborations, enhance strategic research and industry partnerships, and improve graduate employability which are among its top priorities. UM also plans to widen its talent pool with excellent local and international staff. While the University is committed to financial sustainability, its efforts are unable to yield immediate results amid a backdrop of heightened global economic and public-health risks.
Datuk Ir. (Dr.) Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim thanks the Chancellor of UM, Pro-Chancellors and the Board of Directors for their unwavering support. The Vice-Chancellor also congratulates and thanks the UM community – students, staff and alumni for their commitment and contribution towards the University’s performance. He is grateful to the Ministry of Higher Education for its support over the years which has enabled UM to raise the profile of Malaysian higher education internationally while maintaining its status as the nation’s premier university.
The results are available at https://www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings
