UM is now 13th in Asia

UNIVERSITY of Malaya (UM) has once again demonstrated its strength in the recently released QS Quacquarelli-Symonds University Rankings: Asia (QS-AUR) 2020 when it achieved 13th ranking, an improvement of six places from last year. This milestone achievement for the university sees UM breaking its own record and moving upwards for the ninth consecutive year.

Since the inauguration of QS-AUR in 2009, UM has consistently improved by 26 places, and remains as the nation's best in its overall position. In addition, UM is also ranked top in the nation under six indicators of the QS-AUR 2020 - in academic reputation, employer reputation, student to faculty ratio, citations per paper, international research network and for inbound exchange students, placing UM within the top 3% of the approximately 600 Asian universities ranked in QS-AUR 2020. Moreover, UM is ranked first in Asia in the international research network indicator.

The results serve to prove that UM is internationally competitive, with academic standards that are at par with the world’s top universities, and this remains a motivating force for its community to drive for continual improvement of the academic reputation and global standing of the university. UM always look at rankings as a benchmark for the University to gauge its position and as a way of planning for further improvement.

Its Vice Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, is pleased with the results and views UM’s rise in the QS University Rankings: Asia as evidence of the success in the implementation of UM's strategic plans. Formulated to strengthen the university's fundamentals, this has led to a steady rise in UM's position both regionally in Asia as well as in the QS World University Rankings 2020, of which UM is currently ranked 70th.

"While we are delighted with the results, we remain mindful of the many challenges we face in trying to forge ahead. This is especially so in areas where we continue to try and secure sustainable funding for research and the upgrading of our infrastructures, given the current financial uncertainties."

"All that we have achieved would not have been possible without the support of the Chancellor of UM, Pro-Chancellors, our Board of Directors, and the rest of the University community including our academics, staff and students for their commitment and dedication. I would also like to express our appreciation to the Ministry of Education, whose role has been extremely crucial for us to continue to further develop as the country’s premier university and reaching to even greater heights," he added.