KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysian universities have made it into the top 75 of Asia’s most innovative universities – but just barely.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is ranked 73 and Universiti Malaya (UM) stands at 75.

The Reuters Top 75: Asia’s Most Innovative Universities identifies the educational institutions that are doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies and help drive the global economy.

Among Malaysia’s neighbours, Singapore, as usual, is ahead. The National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked 11 while Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is 35 on the list.

There is some consolation for Malaysian educational authorities and universities though: Except for Singapore and Malaysia, no other university from the Association of South East Asian Nations made it to the list of top 75 innovative universities.

Indonesia, which has Asia’s third largest population, for instance, is not on the list.

The Reuters ranking is based on a methodology that focuses on academic papers, which indicate basic research performed at a university, and patent filings, which point to an institution’s interest in protecting and commercialising its discoveries.

It is worth noting that in this year’s QS University Rankings of the top 350 universities in Asia, UM came in 27, UPM 49, Universiti Sains Malaysia 51, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 55, and University Teknologi Malaysia 63.

Of course, NUS and NTU of Singapore were ranked number 1 and 3 respectively on that list.

Malaysia, it has to be noted, has in place a national science, technology and innovation policy.

Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea dominate the Reuters Top 75: Asia’s Most Innovative Universities list.

Out of the top 20 universities, 17 are based in Japan and South Korea.

Topping the list as the most innovative university in Asia is KAIST or Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology.

Established in 1971 by the Korean Government with funding from the United States, the university was modelled after engineering schools in the US, and its instruction stresses problem-solving skills and hands-on experience over textbook learning, says a Reuters report.
KAIST earned its first-place rank by producing original and influential research.

“Organisations around the world cite KAIST’s patent portfolio as significant prior art in their own patent applications more than any other university in Asia – a strong indicator that the university has an outsized impact on global research and development,” said the Reuters report.

On average, the South Korean and Japanese universities on the list file twice as many patent applications than universities in the seven other ranked countries.

The second most innovative university in Asia is Japan’s University of Tokyo while Seoul National University comes in third.

China’s highest ranked university is Tsinghua University at number 13. Only two Indian universities appear in the top 75, The Indian Institutes of Technology at 72 and the Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore at 73.

Reuters said: “Just because a country doesn’t have any schools in the Reuters Top 75 doesn’t mean their universities aren’t doing important research. Since the ranking measures innovation on an institutional level, it may overlook particularly innovative departments or programs.

“A university might rank low for overall innovation, but still operate one of the world’s most innovative nanotechnology laboratories, for instance.

And it’s important to remember that whether they rank in the top 10 or somewhere in the 70s, all the universities ranked in the Asia Top 75 count among the world’s best – they all produce original research, create useful technology and stimulate the global economy.”

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/08/31/two-malaysian-varsities-among-asias-most-innovative/

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