Today, I had the opportunity to attend a special talk on the QS World University Rankings, by Mr. E. Way Chong, held at Dewan Kuliah 7, N24, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The session was conducted by representatives from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the organization behind this globally recognized university ranking system. The event saw the attendance of many UTM administrators, reflecting the importance of the QS ranking to the university’s strategic direction and global standing.
The QS World University Rankings are an annual evaluation of universities worldwide, providing comparative insights across various indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, citations per faculty (research impact), international faculty and student ratio, and more recently, sustainability and international collaboration. These rankings are highly regarded by students, academic institutions, researchers, and even governments, who use them to benchmark excellence in higher education.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British higher education analytics company established in 1990. Since publishing its first global ranking in 2004, QS has grown to become one of the most influential ranking bodies in the world, providing insights that guide institutional improvement and student decision-making globally. The QS rankings exist not only to assist students in making informed choices about where to study but also to help universities benchmark their performance, guide institutional planning, attract international collaborations, and support government and funding decisions.
For universities like UTM, the QS rankings are highly relevant. They influence the university’s global reputation, impact international student recruitment, guide internal strategy, and provide a framework for institutional improvement. Rankings also affect funding prospects, partnerships, and how employers view the institution’s graduates. In short, rankings matter, and they offer tangible benefits beyond prestige.
In the most recent QS World University Rankings, UTM continues to show commendable performance. UTM’s latest rank at 153 (2026). It ranks within the top 100–200 globally, particularly excelling in engineering and technology fields. UTM has demonstrated improvements in areas such as research output, international faculty recruitment, and sustainability initiatives, while maintaining a strong reputation among employers. These results reflect UTM’s dedication to maintaining high academic standards and expanding its global impact.
The impact of the QS World Rankings on UTM is significant. It enhances UTM’s global visibility, making it more attractive to international students, collaborators, and institutions. Rankings also serve as a benchmark for internal improvement, motivating faculties and departments to improve research, teaching quality, and student outcomes. Additionally, as the Ministry of Higher Education often references global rankings in policy and funding decisions, QS performance can indirectly influence national recognition and support.
In summary, today’s briefing was a valuable reminder that rankings such as QS are more than just numbers, they represent the university’s broader mission to strive for excellence in education, research, and global engagement. As UTM continues to advance its status as a leading research university, the QS World University Rankings will remain a key indicator and driver of its international aspirations and institutional progress.
#20242025 Day 036
#Tuesday
