Malaysian universities’ international rankings success strengthens the nation’s position as a global education hub, says higher education minister.
KUALA LUMPUR: The success of Malaysian universities in securing international rankings demonstrates the country’s capability to emerge as a globally respected hub of excellence in education, research and innovation.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that while rankings are not the ultimate goal of a university, they remain an important indicator of the quality, reputation and competitiveness of higher education institutions on the international stage.
According to him, the achievements reflected the collective efforts of lecturers, researchers, students, alumni, staff and industry partners who have consistently worked to elevate the standing of the nation’s higher education sector.
“May this momentum of excellence continue to grow in producing the nation’s best talents and strengthening Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination for higher education,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He also congratulated Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) for becoming the first Malaysian university to secure a place among Asia’s top 40 universities.
Zambry also congratulated the country’s public and private higher education institutions that have continued to strengthen their impressive performance in the latest rankings.
These institutions include Universiti Malaya (UM), Sunway University, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN).
Media reports stated that UTP climbed to 35th place in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2026, up from 43rd position last year.
The report also noted that 27 Malaysian institutions were listed in this year’s rankings, with a record six universities placed among Asia’s top 100 and 11 local universities ranked within the top 200.
