For many years, it is a heart-breaking event for Malaysians whenever there is a publication of world university rankings, for it is not to find out how well Malaysian universities compare with the best in the world but how badly Malaysian universities fared in international university comparisons and benchmarkings.
The release today of the 2014 Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings for the Top 100 Universities is no different. In fact, it is worse.
For four consecutive years, Malaysia has been excluded from both the THE World Reputation Rankings and the THE World University Rankings for Top 400, with not a single Malaysian university able to make the grade in both rankings.
Singapore National University (SNU) achieved the best World Reputation Rankings in the four-year THE series, ranked No. 34 in 2011, 40 in 2012, 29 in 2013 and 21 in 2014. SNU is only behind two other Asian universities the 2014 World Reputation Rankings – University of Tokyo and Kyoto University in 11th and 19th ranking respectively.
Other Asian universities following closely behind SNU in the THE World Reputation Rankings 2014 are Seoul National University (No. 26), Tsinghua University (No. 36), Peking University (No. 41), University of Hong Kong (No. 43), Osaka University (No. 50), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), National Taiwan University and Tokyo Institute of Technology (No. 51-60), Tohoku University (No. 61-70), Chinese University of Hong Kong, Yonsei University (No.81-90) and Nanyang Technological University (No. 91-100).
What must be very mortifying to Malaysians who in the past had prided in having University of Malaya in the fifties and sixties as one of the world-ranking universities comparable in academic excellence with universities like the Universities of Hong Kong, Melbourne and Sydney now finding Malaysian universities not only trailing far behind their previous peers, including Universities of Singapore, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Sydney, but being overtaken by universities which Malaysians had never heard before.
For example, the Middle East Technical University of Turkey and the University of Sao Paulo of Brazil have consistently been ranked in the THE Top 100 Universities World Reputation Rankings for the past three years from 2012 – 2014, which put Malaysian universities to shame!
It was nine years ago during the University of Malaya’s centennial celebrations in June 2005 that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, then Deputy Prime Minister, who threw the challenge to University of Malaya to raise its 89th position in 2004 among the world’s top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) World Universities Ranking to 50 by the year 2020.
The year 2020 is only six years away, but in the nine years since Najib’s challenge for a Malaysian university to be ranked among the world’s Top 50 universities, the reverse process university decline and regression had set in – and there is not a single university ranked in both the THE Top 100 Universities World Reputation Rankings and the THE World University Rankings for Top 400 in the past four years.
The first step for Malaysian university reform and transformation to ensure that Malaysian universities can regain world-class academic standards and standing is that our Education Minister must dare to ask publicly as well as to offer a proper answer as to why Malaysian universities have regressed so poorly when compared to our peers in excellence in the fifties and sixties?
Dare Muhyiddin make a Ministerial statement in Parliament next week to explain why Singapore can get two universities for four consecutive years into the THE Top 100 Universities World Reputation Rankings and THE World University Rankings for Top 400 but not a single one from Malaysia and what university reform measures he has in mind?
OMG or @lah, how can dis land produce QUALITY universities when an INNOCENT person who revealed d TRUTH kena court-martialled
Some more an experienced n well trained fighter jet pilot
Hope he can become a commercial pilot (Captain or First Officer) soon
Alamak, LKS, apa ini, NOT Singapore National University (SNU) lah – it’s NUS (National University of Singapore) lah
U hv been in dis kangkung land 4 too long lah, brain also mis-wired leh
Trust me, the best Universities in our poorer closer neighbours in Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are better than our universities. I hire people from these places and I know for a fact.
Mr Lim,
I don’t think Muhyiddin cares where Malaysian universities end up on any world ranking.
All those rich UMNOputras simply send their children overseas for further studies.
As my friend and I were discussing not one hour ago, there are several classes of UMNO Malays in Malaysia.
At the top of the heap are the elite UMNOputras – they are borne to rule and they get the best education money can buy – overseas, of course :)
Then, there are their servants who make sure things get done. This lot does not need that much education and a Malaysian university-level is more than enough for them.
At the very bottom of the heap are the Malays who have simply been passed over and forgotten. They are the cannon fodder – totally expendable. Minimal education is required for them.
SNU = Seoul National University
As far as Perkosa-UmnoB/BN r concerned, who CARES abt world university rankings, as long as Perkosa-UmnoB/BN can CONTROL our courts, judges, mata2, armed forces, msm, etc
Then everything OK lor
Just look at Kajang buy erection, nomination day n polling day will b held quite late
By polling day, AI might b found guilty n disqualified
Char meehoon might win unopposed
Another buy erection might b necessary in Pg (PM)
Anything is possible in dis apa2 pun boleh 1DERful land
All well planned n executed by graduates of local kangkung univ (though not world-ranked)
Muhyiddin would probably say, ‘hey, we are a sovereign country and have independent ratings. 1Mlaysia ratings is superiorlah. We are miles aheadlah. Other nations measure in kilometres ‘tapi Malaysia jauh berbatubatu-lah.’ (but Malaysia is miles ahead).
We know as usual Muhyiddin talks rubbish. But then he is the minister of education and the Deputy prime minister, so he can talk. And Utusan Malaysia will circulate his brand of intelligence.
Meanwhile Malaysian intelligence plummets. And you think he understands why?
Uncle Lim, I know we should not pick up your small typo error, but it should read National University Singapore (NUS) :) I agree that Malaysia’s education is going downhill, from bad to worse as you have been talking for many years! Feel really helpless if BN still in control of our education system….
What has happened 2 our 1 n only 1 APEX university, USM?
N d fabulous UiTM?
Languishing.
Yeah, but proud.
Oh yeah, still proud.
… hoi, apa you makan malam semalam?
kangkung bro.
Yeah, kangkung.
Dear boh liao,
So u wanna know what happened to USM?
The answer lies in your name: “boh liao”.
“Finished”.
“Habis”.
And umno supporters still believe that under umno “melayu tak akan hilang dari muka dunia.”
Oh boy!
LKS, pls lah stop asking a cow 2 do BEYOND what it can understand n do
Was d cow brilliant academically during its schooling n university days
How do U expect d beast 2 improve univ rankings then, moooooooooo………..
Sg is very different, governed by ministers who understand d values of a truly good education
Most of them r 1st class graduates of top univ
Many of them, though entitled 2 b called Dr, r referred 2 as Mr or Ms or Mdm
Here, in dis apa2 pun boleh land, some who r NOT entitled 2 b called Dr went d extra mile 2 BUY FAKE degrees in order 2 beautify themselves as Dr, LOL (as if d whole world does not know dis cheating way; FAKE degrees r like fake bo00obs, sticking out prominently)
LKS, pls lah stop asking a cow 2 do BEYOND what it can understand n do
Was d cow brilliant academically during its schooling n university days
How do U expect d beast 2 improve univ rankings then, moooooooooo………..
Sg is very different, governed by ministers who understand d values of a truly good education
Most of them r 1st cl@Ss graduates of top univ
Many of them, though entitled 2 b called Dr, r referred 2 as Mr or Ms or Mdm
Here, in dis apa2 pun boleh land, some who r NOT entitled 2 b called Dr went d extra mile 2 BUY FAKE degrees in order 2 beautify themselves as Dr, LOL (as if d whole world does not know dis cheating way; FAKE degrees r like fake bo00obs, sticking out prominently)
FAKE degrees r like fake bo00obs, sticking out prominently n WOBBLY too
Whoooa. Good One.
In a nation based essentially on political connection and expedience; creating fakes is the national objective as truth requires hard work and honesty. If you have enough grey matter, you would feel uneasy to wrap yourself with lies. So we find all those cronies equip themselves with PhDs at a price considered cheap; especially when the easy money is from rent collection. Just attend some of the in-house gatherings and listen to them talking! My bet is come 2020, we will find ourselves beaten by most Thais, Vietnamese; Indonesian and most probably Myanmar universities! Forget about Singapore, they are not even bother with what we are doing or plan to do! By then, I hope Cintamalaysia is around to tell us what went wrong!
Is NUS good all because NUS IS GOOD?
No. Not that simple folks. NUS is good for more reasons that merely because NUS is good.
The whole system of education starting with yr 1 kids is involved.
Every step of the way and every level must be good. Only then we can have good universities.
And didnt rafidah arrogantly say some years ago that malaysia too can produce world class research-based universities and that all it takes is a lot of funding? Simplistic kangkung mentality. Everything is about money.
Wanna try moo? Give our universities a billion each for 10 yrs and see where they would be on the ranking chart 10 yrs from now. Wanna try?
To him, he has already achieved his objectives. Keep a large portion of the people stupid and racist.
Unfortunately d prediction on Thursday, 6 March 2014 – 10:04 pm (#5) turned out 2 b CORRECT, correct, CORRECT
Not 1 buy erection, but 2 buy erections akan datang, 1 in Kajang n d other in Pg
In dis 1DERland, WHAT Perkosa-UmnoB/BN WANT, Perkosa-UmnoB/BN GET
Court judgement VERY easi, if d outcome of 1 court is NOT what Perkosa-UmnoB/BN want, appeal again n again UNTIL a judgement favourable 2 Perkosa-UmnoB/BN is obtained
All easi n kow dim, some more veri democratic what
Look at d @llah judgement n AI judgement
Esp d latter, lightning speed, found GUILTY – perfect timing, char beehoon n MCA so so happy, HO SAY liao!
MMK also happi, HO SAY liao!
Remember dis is Perkosa-UmnoB/BN’s M’sia, don’t PLAY play, everything is under control, kangkung or no kangkung
One cannot have grossly racist and discriminatory policies, disguised as affirmative policies, aim at fellow citizens and expected to do well.