The excellent recognition and achievement of Universiti Malaya in the QS World University Rankings 2025 at 60th in the world, is the epitome of the university’s relentless and unyielding pursuit for world class excellence in academic, intellectual and research eminence. The persistent dedication and unwavering spirit of the entire campus community in striving for the best have resulted in UM continuing to be the pride of the nation in this significant milestone.
The higher education sector is undergoing significant shifts, ranging from demographic changes to new geopolitical conflicts that will redefine new settings and threaten the conventional model of research, teaching and learning and academic environment.
Without adequate agility, resilience and audacity to change and embrace new realities, universities fast become vulnerable to irrelevance and stagnation.
From embracing Artificial Intelligence in learning and research processes and in creating a futuristic smart campus Masterplan, to using new technologies in solving climate impact and tackling diseases, universities remain at the pinnacle of a civilisation and a country’s transitional phase to the quintessence of greatness.
The new model and approach of the university are ones that are centred upon the higher calling of the civilisational and global equation of impact and tangible benefits to humanity as a whole.
From saving lives through new research advancement in vaccines and medical fields to charting new horizons in critical sectors essential to the country’s future advancement such as critical minerals, robotics and Artificial Intelligence, the core emphasis is to elevate the quality and practical application of both teaching and learning and research resilience and capacity especially in strategic sectors that are forward looking and future driven.
With the new drive and strategic importance of a digital and green economy to the future of the nation, key critical areas such as the recently unveiled National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), the New Industrial Masterplan 2030 (NIM) and the framework of Mineral Industry under the NIM are given the right focus and impact with UM striving to play a new role in producing the needed human capital and expertise.
Enhancing Malaysia’s potential for semiconductor innovation will create a ripple impact on investments in research and development, especially in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The much anticipated impact spectrum of Artificial Intelligence in changing humanity can and must be moulded in the realm and design that can benefit humankind and in bringing the needed prosperity and positive changes and impact to the future of civilisations, and universities stand at the frontline in shaping this digital dichotomy.
Improvements in critical areas including the education sector and in having more top talents in high impact science fields, including having more scientists and engineers which will help support the country’s new drive towards technological and scientific transformation.
Malaysia’s engineer-to-population ratio stood at 1:170 in 2022, still below the national target of 1:100. The new strategic drive of the NSS and other related key industries including the setting up of Malaysia as the new hub in the region for high technology manufacturing and electronics, Electric Vehicles, data centre enhancement, digital transformation, blockchain capacity, Artificial Intelligence, and green energy elevation will require consistent capacity of high skilled workforce, engineers and scientists to sustain the new century of scientific, economic and national transformation of Malaysia into a high income and prosperous country.
Universiti Malaya as the nation’s best and oldest university will strive to lead this new transformation in providing the future driven spectrum of world class human capital in various fields and expertise, and in creating new knowledge and solutions to pressing challenges of the future from climate change to geopolitical conflicts.
This reform agenda in the university encompasses a holistic overview of bold transformations transcending the entire academic and research foundations, in synergising and getting the best support and returns of the human capital asset of the university.
The promising achievements as evident in the QS Rankings are the epitome of the university’s unwavering intent to maintain and advance its position as the nation’s best university, and will continue to ensure that both students and the academic and research fraternity are given the right capacity, support and intellectual dynamism and expertise in facing the increasingly stiff and ferocious threats and challenges of the future in facing the higher education sector.
This success of this QS World University Rankings is attributed to the result and hard work of the entire campus community, especially the academic and research talent pool and our non-academic workforce that have been working hard with great tenacity in meeting our internally set Key Performance Indicators.
Under the three main tenets of community engagement, in industrialising the university and in the internationalising the university’s global repute and standing, Universiti Malaya strives to maintain and enhance the university’s strategic and critical standing as the nation’s top flagbearer and trendsetter in academic and research eminence in charting new frontiers of breakthroughs and advancement for the world and humanity.
Meaningful and sustainable impact to the community through practical applications of research outcome in solving community challenges from environmental pollution to traffic management are the key target areas in the tenet of community impact.
The impact and presence of the university is not only limited to the geographical barrier of being in the Klang Valley alone, as we seek to make our community presence and impact felt across the country in all the constituencies and in different parts of the world by ensuring our research and academic works having the right influence and life changing impact.
The second tenet of industrialising the university revolves on the strategic synergy of industry experts in providing the expertise to our campus community especially the students in their teaching and learning modules. Subjects are required to be taught by industry experts and key stakeholders to inject the needed comprehensive knowledge cultivation and knowledge creation beyond conventional teaching and learning alone.
Various strategic collaborations with key private institutions nationally and globally have been increased, with specific focus on critical areas that will be of vital importance to the country’s future economic and geopolitical needs.
The third tenet of internationalisation remains the key element, where top global standards are the key parameters for the campus community. From research publications to filing of patents and global partnerships and talent mobility, the bar is set high to ensure credible and tangible contribution at the highest level based on top global standards, where the final recipients can be as diverse and far-reaching as possible.
The international element and presence remain prevalent in all aspects of the university’s operations, and our students and staff are required to gain skills and capacities that are of global standards, ranging from English proficiency to specific expertise in their own fields. The students complete the success equation by constantly raising the bar in their learning and skill acquisition processes.
A concerted, multi-layer, future driven, and meticulous strategic action plan transcending various fields and skill areas is in place to ensure that researchers, professors and lecturers are geared towards consistently and efficiently producing the desired and top quality teaching and learning capacity and contributing in the domains of research outcome.
Under the new reform agenda, speed and efficiency remain the priority, and the three main tenets of advancing the university in charting a new future role of transforming lives and changing the future of civilisations are at the central priority.
Human capital advancement and the audacity to change and set bold visions with achievable results remain the key success of the university’s achievements.
Ten new critical thrust areas have been identified as the key focus and priorities for the university moving forward:
1. Nuclear energy and new energy transition
2. Food sustainability and security
3. Semiconductor and chips
4. Nanotechnology and quantum exploration
5. Artificial Intelligence and digital robotic realms
6. Space science and astronomy
7. Defence and security assets and inventory innovation and creation
8. Rare earths and critical minerals
9. Comprehensive medical and health spectrum excellence
10. Social Science Advancement in Economic, Societal, International Norms and Law and Geopolitical Spectrum for the Nation and the World
Gone are the days when the scope of measurements is confined to meagre geographical or conventional limitations. All new strategic actions plans are now moulded towards creating life changing and impactful outcomes in contributing to the future of the world and humanity across the globe.
In transforming the core essence of digitalising higher education and forging future driven partnerships, Synergising strength and key expertise across different dimensions and fields must not be confined to the trapping of geographical, language, cultural or socio-economic barriers.
In the fast-shifting landscape of the world of the 21st Century, the next domains that will drive the next frontiers of humanity will be the institutional capacity and resilience to spearhead new advancement in Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, nanotechnology, space science, new cyber technology, new energy and resources resilience, and other critical fronts.
Universities around the world and especially from this region in Asia, must be the trendsetter and the pioneers in producing new inventions, breakthroughs and achievements in cutting edge research and outcome in changing the lives of humanity and providing tangible solutions to global challenges.
From saving lives through the invention of new medicines to advancing new breakthroughs in physics and scientific exploration in solving climate and space challenges, universities remain the first and the last frontiers in consolidating shared expertise, resources and innovation.
At the core facet of this drive lies the spirit of innovation and the unyielding zeal to chart new forward-looking exchanges and collaborations that will transcend conventional practices.
It serves as the decorated frontier in connecting global experts and talents in working towards common challenges and goals, superseding national and regional traps and barriers that are often bogged down by systemic geopolitical differences and limitations.
Thus, the role of higher education practitioners and leaders is not just to create durable and credible higher learning institutions, but in seizing on the opening and critical role to bridge the divide and to capitalise on the great importance of going beyond traditional national and individual interests and to create a new civilisational drive in solving our shared threats.
For UM to achieve that, it will need the right structural and systemic governance and working culture and discipline in place, with the right and capable human capital. Both aspects are being driven now, and efforts are made to ensure that the best talents and experts in critical fields are here in the university to drive the necessary success outcome and changes.
These new strategies and bold changes are reflected in our tagline, Home of the Bright, Land of the Brave.
However, there is no time for complacency and this feat will serve as a good inspiration for us to work even harder for the benefit of the country and the world in bringing a new dawn of civilisational progress and prosperity.
The success in QS World Rankings is a pushing factor for the university and the entire campus community to remain steadfast in our new approach and desire to enact the necessary advancement, improvement and changes in facing an ever-greater challenge of the future, and I attribute and dedicate this success to all the hardworking workforce and students at the university.
The best is yet to come.
Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman
Vice Chancellor
Universiti Malaya
