Malaysian universities are still in the international backwaters with the country fighting a losing battle to enhance international competitiveness in the quest for academic excellence and university quality.
For the fourth year in succession, Malaysian universities have been omitted in the January 2007 Webometrics Ranking (WR) of 3,000 Premier Universities, based on their commitment to Web publication and to the Open Access initiatives.
The National University of Singapore tops the Asian universities in the WR, ranked No. 139 internationally, with the Nanyang Technological University ranked No. 18 among the top Asian universities. Chulalongkorn University of Thailand has again confirmed that it is recognised internationally as in various recent world universities rankings as of superior quality to all the 17 Malaysian universities.
The top 25 Asian universities in the latest WR are:
Top Asian Universities
Asia Rank University World Rank
1 National University Singapore 139
2. National Taiwan University 150
3 Keio University 152
4 University of Tokyo 157
5 Beijing University 190
6 Chinese University of Hong Kong 216
7 University of Hong Kong 218
8 Kyoto University 239
9 National Chiao Tung University 300
10 Tsinghua University China 336
11 Seoul National University 337
12 University of Tsukuba 338
13 HK Univ of Sc & Technology 362
14 Korea Adv. Inst of Sc & Tech 365
15 Nagoya University 367
16 Tokyo Institute of Technology 368
17 Tohoku University 376
18 Nanyang Techl Univ Spore 450
19 National Cheng Kung University 468
20 City University of Hong Kong 470
21 Chulalongkorn University 505
22 Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ 511
23 National Sun Yat Sen Univ 513
24 United Nations University 522
25. Zhejiang University 529
The country distribution of the top 500 WR Premier Universities are:
Rank Country Top 500
1. USA 211
2 Germany 51
3. UK 40
4 Canada 27
5 Spain 20
6 Australia 18
7. Italy 13
8 Sweden 10
9 Netherlands 9
10 Switzerland 7
10 France 7
10 Japan 7
10 Finland 7
14 Austria 6
15 Denmark 5
15 Brazil 5
15 Belgium 5
18 Norway 4
18 Czech Rep 4
18 Israel 4
18 Ireland 4
18 Hong Kong 4
18 Portugal 4
24 Taiwan 3
24 New Zealand 3
26 China 2
26 Singapore 2
26 South Korea 2
26 Mexico 2
26 Greece 2
26 Hungary 2
26 Turkey 2
33 Estonia 1
33 Argentina 1
33 South Africa 1
33 Serbia 1
33 Iceland 1
33 Chile 1
33 Russia 1
33 Slovenia 1
Unless there is urgent universities reform, Malaysian universities face the great risk of disappearing from the international radar of quality universities altogether.
Malaysian universities were completely left out in the new Newsweek Top 100 Global Universities ranking announced in August last year , stuck in the world’s lowly academic divisions — three years after the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s call for world-class universities and “towering Malaysians”.
For four successive years, none of the 17 Malaysian public universities made it into the Shanghai Jian Tong University’s 500 Top Universities Rankings.
As for the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) World University Ranking of 200 Best Universities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and University of Malaya (UM) are struggling to keep inside the list, as their present rankings of No. 185 for UKM and No. 192 for UK are most precarious and perilous.
Did the unusual Friday Cabinet meeting yesterday discuss the latest proof of the failure of the Abdullah administration in the battle to enhance Malaysia’s international competitiveness to produce quality human resources by raising the global standing of the quality of Malaysian universities, and what should be done to address the failures of the universities in the past three years — or it merely provided further evidence of a “half-past six” Cabinet totally unaware of the conspicuous absence of Malaysian universities in the latest Webometrics Ranking of 3,000 Universities?
#1 by teetwoh on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 1:21 pm
Come on Kit Siang, did you not expect this years ago, when selection, sucess and reward are not based on capability but based on race? If the Malays want to be selected purely because they are Malays, they would find themselves in backward institutions more and more. One would be a donkey to think otherwise.
#2 by devilmaster on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 1:28 pm
This is so abashing.
There are at least 5 universities from South Africa which are better than all of the universities in Bolehland.
University of Ghana, which is placed at #5,702 in the world; and hopefully we are able to better it. So that, we can continue saying “we are still better than Ghana”.
#3 by shortie kiasu on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 1:31 pm
There so much talks and promises by PM Abdullah Ahmad when earlier it was found that the ranking had slipped to the bottom and drifted out of the world radar screen.
As usual, the lazzizefaire attitude of the civil servant and government itself has caught up with them now.
Statement of intent is easy to make up, but deployment and implementation of good and effective roadmaps is hard to come by when we have all the mediocre personnel dominating the key & strategic positions in such educational organizations and think tanks.
A graduate from any local institutions of higher learning wishes to move overseas for job, he/she will not be accepted based on the qualifications he/she attained locally, not by the government nor the private corporations.
He/she has to re-sit for a series of assessment tests in that foreign countries. It just go to show how unbelievably/incredibly low the quality of education of local institutions of higher learning, especially if he/she obtains qualification from public universities here. It will be even worse off.
How come neighbouring countries like Singapore, even Thailand can maintain such high standards of their universities. The answer is not hard to get at. The only thing here is racial, protection and crutches that form the stumbling block.
Mediocrity is in and meritocracy is out. Reverse it and the result will be obvious.
#4 by pwcheng on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 1:41 pm
The moribund state of education in this country is a direct result of race politics played by UMNO. It will never go away as long as UMNO is willing to continue playing the same game
#5 by megaman on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 1:54 pm
doesn’t do justice to the alumnis of the public universities especially when then the universities are still respected in the region.
Wat kind of crap is this ? Losing out to Thai universities … Embarassing …
Unfortunately, nothing can be done right now … history have proved again and again … before drastic changes or revolution can occur … countries have to collapse n go to the dumps …
Only den would we realize the fault of our actions or inactions n forced to act …
I m waiting for the day when Msians; bumis to realize tat having NEP is slowly ruining them n non-bumis to understand that they cannot take a hands-off approach to domestic politics and for everyone to understand that they have nowhere to go when they lose Malaysia …
#6 by Plaintruth on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 2:20 pm
I had a friend who has a Ph. D in engineering said that back in 20 years ago when he was in University of Malaysia, the university examination results were publicly announced. It show bimodal distribution (mathematical-statiscal term) on the chart.
(go to images.google.com and type in bimodal distribution to see the shape of the statistical tool)
That is, on the y-axis is the number of people and on the x-axis is the test scores. The first hump or bump or hill-like curve consists of candiates (surprisingly) all Malay and the next mode or hump in the curve are from the Chinese and Indian students.
In any natural occurence, we expect a normal distribution (statiscal term and have like a bell shape curve). However, any people with a brain in Malaysia would know why the bimodal curve resulted.
The university administration were embrassed about this result and later change the scoring determination. That is one of the many ways Malaysian University academic standards gone to the drain.
#7 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 4:28 pm
When education becomes a political football for politicians, we should be lucky we are not below 10,000th placing in our rankings. Probably sharing the same fate as our football teams!
When places in public universities are reserved for political constituencies regardless of their academic calibre and where exam results are skewed according to the need to ‘satisfy’ political goals and constituencies, then academic excellence simply would not figure in the vocabulary of education planners in Bolehland. All these statistical polls aren’t worrisome at all to the MOE because they weren’t amongst the stated goals or would be low in priority.
But since the world has noticed, now watch out for the chicanery and deceit to climb up the rankings!
The solutions, Keris-muddin and Mustapha, lie in a level playing field i.e. meritocracy and colour-blind education policies. Otherwise, sleep on and wake up in the next decade and find that Bolehland becomes unmarked and unranked with the likes of Timor Leste or maybe even behind by then!
I think unless there is more than lip-service and genuine commitment to arrest the rot, the non-Bumis by and large wouldn’t want to be part of a system that commmands little or no respect from the education community. In a globalised world, education is ‘borderless’. And I hope MOE realises this!!!
#8 by hasilox on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 5:16 pm
Don’t worry. When the Racial Relation Module is in place, we should be at the top. Top in the clowns category.
#9 by comingto50 on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 6:54 pm
Here’s a story I received in an email…
OLD VERSION…
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks
the ant’s a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come
winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or
shelter so he dies out in the cold.
MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks
the ant’s a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come
winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands
to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others
are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering
grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can
this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant’s house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding
that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter. Amnesty
International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not
upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper. The Internet is
flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many
promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against
the wrath of God for non-compliance) . Opposition MP’s stage a walkout.Left
parties call for “Bharat Bandh” in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a
Judicial Enquiry.CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants
from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty
among ants and grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian
Railway Trains, aptly named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]”, with effect from the beginning of
the winter.
Arjun Singh makes Special Reservation for Grass Hopper in
educational Insititutions & in Govt Services.
The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having
nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by
the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by
NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it “a triumph of justice”. Lalu calls it
‘Socialistic Justice’. CPM calls it the ‘revolutionary resurgence of the
downtrodden’ Koffi Annan invites the grasshopper to address the UN
General Assembly.
Many years later…The ant has since migrated to the US and set up a
multi billion dollar company in silicon valley.100s of grasshoppers
still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India …
As a result loosing lot of hard working ants and feeding the
grasshoppers, India is still a developing country….. .
Can any one dare to bring India out of this clutches…
#10 by democrate on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 7:34 pm
Our universities are just like shops that hang on with a Dogs head but claim as selling mutton meat. All pirate CD [ qualifier with quota system should be ended ] Start resuming intake of qualify students by means of meritocracy. then our world ranking will recover…..embaress! shame! and sad with a country of rich natural resources and in the absence of natural disaster we are behind the poor country of Africa.
#11 by robtang on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 8:14 pm
The ranking is not an important thing by itself. More important is the spirit of wanting to improve ourselves. This spirit seems to be lacking in Malaysian universities for some years now. But let’s not drown ourselves with negative thoughts and feelings. Rather, let’s hope that there will be at least one university, which I think would most likely be a private university, that will show the way to academic excellence. I don’t believe that the purpose of Mr Lim Kit Siang blogging on this issue is to bring to shame Malaysian universities but rather to bring to attention the urgent need for reforming. Hope is the seed that brings all dreams to full fruition.
#12 by aviva on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 9:00 pm
With the current policy, Malaysia govenment is chasing away its very own talents. While Singapore dooris is open wide to welcome all.
anyone still proud to say, “I’m from UM.” ?
#13 by Ray on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 10:14 pm
Dear All Malaysia Rakyats we were Terribly horribly shocked and sad indeed even for Vision 2020 to be A Reality when the nation’s foremost Fundamental Educational policy has been Prejudiced and Mistook by Umno putras political self interests.
Indeed over a long disgracful period of 50 yrs nation Merdeka
yet Malaysia today Still Not been Fully Developed or rather Nation Status although it had inherited a profound Democratic constitution.
Rakyats as a matter of Facts >>> Without a Proper Nation status significant, what can we dream of A World Class Prestigious University Education …>>Obviously NO WAY ….!!!!
Rakyats…see thepoint>>>””Malaysia BN Umno cabinets has got NO Political will to embrace a set of core National values that is So Essential to Build up a nation….instead Umno illegally indulging discriminative policies of intolerance racial bias ,victimisation etc..subsequently brought Malaysia into Deepshit socio-Econ status situation precisely.,,,this is the real scenario of Rakyat Malaysia …No National Identification even MYCARD cannot be taken for granted as A Malaysia Citizenship..why?? becos Malaysia is still uncertainly far from visualisation of a developed Nation stutus of Multi-racialism.
Rakyats …>>Lets us Stand together in Oneness for our future genaration sake BY our commitment for a New Malaysia Political regimes thro DAP /pkr Visions of a Real Democratic Nation of different communities plus a set of core values to live in a peaceful coexistence ./nation building. .
Ray sign off….
#14 by Kingkong on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 10:57 pm
As the Greek poet Hesiod put it more than 2,700 years ago: ‘The price of achievement is toil; and the gods have ruled that you must pay in advance.
Nothing comes easy and that is the result of rubber stamping our degrees because of ignorance of meritocracy and favoritism to a particular race. Our degrees are worth very little as reflected from the unemployable graduates we produce. In times to come, our graduates only can be qualified as domestic maids for foreign countries, and even then we would lose to Pilipino who perhaps speaks better English.
To destroy, it just takes overnight, but to build, it needs years. There is very little hope that we could reverse the situation particularly those who are in power are still always in a denial mood and ostrich headed.
Good apples will refuse to mix with the bad apples with the obvious reason of afraid of being rotted. Someone suggested de-segregate our schools, perhaps it is not a bad thing that you do your way and we do our way, after all your way doesn’t show anything superior. E.g. after twenty years of screwing around with the education policy, and when our children are graduated already, the authority only then came to admit: “ after all, English is very important, and lets start next year with English with science and mathematics in the primary one.†What a joke! Luckily some of the parents are foresighted enough to be able to bypass such stupid system and today their children are more in demand professionally in the world market. When the world has become more borderless, talents move away. The deterioration of our academic standard will be exponential and it is very difficult to recover.
Singapore has 2 and Hong Kong has 4 universities which qualify to be within the top 500 ranking. It is very impressive in spite of their small population and limited resources. Even Thailand has Chulalongkorn University (505) to be proud of.
Now we belong to the category of Indonesia and Philippine. What a shame! Imagine those days before year 70 we belonged to one of the best in the Commonwealth countries, Our local graduates could cross the blue ocean to land an appropriate job anywhere in the world. Those days have gone! Our poor local rubber stamped graduates could only wait for the handouts from the government which anyway sucks blood from us, the taxpayers.
#15 by Ron on Saturday, 3 March 2007 - 11:19 pm
Higher Education Minister: ‘We will hire the best’ for public universities
KOTA BARU: The hiring of academicians for public universities will be based on meritocracy to ensure high standards, Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said.
“The selection is on merit. We will hire the best,†he said before visiting the temporary campus of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) at Taman Bendahara here Saturday.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/3/nation/20070303181401&sec=nation
#16 by robtang on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 12:25 am
I appreciate Mr Lim’s persistent harping on the issue of the declining standard of Malaysia’s tertiary institutions. His “nagging” is not to bring out our negative feelings, but out of the desire to see change for the better. The situation may look hopeless to some. But let’s try to see what everyone in his or her own little way can do to bring about improvement in tertiary education in Malaysia. The rich ones can think about donating money to build new private universities, not for the selfish purpose of further enriching their bank accounts, but for the strength and wealth of the nation, for the benefits of future generations of Malaysians. The less rich ones who do not have money to give away may find other ways to contribute. Let’s project a spirit of hope even when the situation seems hopeless. Let’s give hope to ourselves. Let’s be kind to ourselves.
#17 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 1:51 am
I think there should be concern as to whether we have good lecturers who are internationally well known or regarded. Or are our lecturers merely “Professor Kampongs”?
We recognise alot of Indonesian universities and yet these Universities are not ranked or well regarded at all under any of the major ranking studies. Yet they are educating our students.
At the end of the day, what sort of education are our students getting?
Universiti Malaya, the country’s premier university is premier no more. In its early days from 1958 till the early 70s, it had some status due to the reputation carried over from the King Edward VII College of Medicine and Raffles College and then the University of Malaya, all in Singapore. In 1958, the Kuala Lumpur Division was established and many good lecturers were transferred to Kuala Lumpur to help build up the Division. This included many European (White) lecturers and the VC then was the well regarded Oppenheimer. The medium of instruction was English.
Things changed after our independence and the University developed seperately from its twin in Singapore in line with the country’s new aspirations. The 70s can be said to be the time when things started to change rapidly to what we have today. Graduates from the early era lament that their reputation has gone down somewhat but what can they do?
Today, everyone’s got a degree. If its not from KUKek, its from KUKWA, or KUKuK or KU something or other. And because they sounded obscene, they are now upgraded to Universiti by the stroke of the Minister’s pen. Just like that.
We already have Universities named after the Tunku, Razak and Hussein Onn. Will there be a University Tun Mahathir Mohammed (UniApaNama), holder of a record 18 honorary Ph Ds? Or Universiti Pak Lah?
Even the political parties want to give you a degree. So if you don’t have one, you really are no good ‘cos there are now more University places than there are students.
Some private colleges have seen a 50% drop in enrollment and cannot make ends meet. So very soon the entry requirement will be SPM. There’s a private college who let you pay RM 500 to start your degree. They give you a PC somemore (but there are some easy terms to fulfil – just be loyal to them).
So we need some foreigners like Nigerians, Arabians, Walla wallas to fill in the gap with ‘special offers’ – for every 100 foreign students recruited and enrolled, they give 5 places free (for you know who). No wonder recruitment is very strong overseas especially in Africa through “co-operation and assistance” agreements. Many of these students enroll with dubious qualifications and “remedial courses” can be provided.
Money count folks, and don’t forget, they all have to help fulfill the government’s desire to make Bolehland an education hub. So don’t be surprised if you see large groups of foreigners lining up at the immigration counters at KLIA. No, they are not foreign workers. They are foreign STUDENTS. Okonko and geng coming to learn the Bolehland way. Have you heard them Africans say “Boleh!”? Sure they can ! “Boleh” means *%^#@!! in Hausa and !*#@X&)- in Mandinga.
That’s what our lowly ranked Universities going to impart to them. Our contribution to education and human development.
#18 by jonwon on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 11:25 am
It was news last year, and our vice chancellor proudly proclaimed that malaysia unis are not ranked due to a different methodology being used for the ranking such as employability of graduates which interviews only certain employers. So much for a nice answer!
Why did he not say due to NEP and its quota system which have forced so many good and eligible students to study via private colleges/universities or even overseas universities?
As we all know, Malays can enrol into the local unis without much effort and the gomen thinks that they can double or triple a knowledge workforce by enrolling more undergraduates. When this happens, it dilutes the quality of these graduates, thus affecting their employability. I still hear that they had a plan to have 100,000 PhDs in 15 years, as recommended in the higher education plan. That is more than 6000 PhD holders per year. Which companies will want to employ these PhD holders when knowing that their alta mata universities does not even qualify to be ranked??
While producing more low quality graduates, the employability of these graduates will be affected and high employmentment will force the government to absorb them into civil service. And the civil service that currently faces a labour shortage is the teaching profession.
You can imagine a half past six graduate teaching our students. It will only produce half past six students. That is also why the popularity of vernacular schools are on a rise as the teachers are unlike those in national schools where they are unemployed graduates being forced to teach without any passion or even decent knowledge.
#19 by jonwon on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 11:25 am
Just to add, I am actually in favour of local uni grads. Being an employer myself, infact, I admire the local uni graduates more than anything. Who are they? The chinese who are admitted to the local unis, they are the cream of the crop. With the quota system, only the best of the best make it to the local unis. However, many of them are also attracted across the causeway where they are offered scholarships. It is the same people who have made their alta mata universities in Singapore proud of their university rankings too. Just like myself.
#20 by jonwon on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 11:26 am
We were on par with NUS in the 1970s but our university ranking has been dwindling since then and now after 30 years, it has disappeared out of the rankings. So you see our gomen (the likes of hisham, semi and rafidah who are so adamant about this own selfish thoughts and rights) has not improved or maintained but aggravated the quality of education. It will take another 30 years or even longer to play the catch up game. The quality of lecturers and students have to be improved in tandem which is not easily achieved. Do we see any initiative from the gomen to stem this fall? They care less because their children are all enrolled overseas in quality universities needless to say. Or worst, they have plundered from our country through corruption and cronyism enough for their generations to live comfortably.
All blueprints and policies for the education and higher learning are politically inclined towards our corrupted despotic gomen’s agenda.
The gomen has open the flood gates for private colleges and universities and there are many sub standard colleges run by bumis for the sake of making quick money at the expense of producing poor quality so-called graduates who are not even employable as graduates per say.
As evidenced by a recent news report, the bumis graduates acknowledge it is difficult to be employed as graduates and rather work as taxi drivers. This has produced a mindset that university degrees are useless and deter bright students from enroling in university education especially so in difficult times burdened with the high cost of living.
Of course our gomen go one step further and give out loans to many bumi graduates, however, we hear that many default on the loans. To some, they will not bother to pay and treat it as a scholarship especially when the gomen is not even taking a hard stance on the loan defaulters.
#21 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 3:08 pm
Just take number 1 on the list, NUS, MU’s twin. Just do a comparision of the CVs of their professors with those of MU and you will quickly realise the sharp difference. Entry requirements in NUS, NTU, SMU are very, very stiff and competitive.
Very soon the not so new University, Singapore Management University, will be on the list.
All our local unis can do, as reported in their advertisements, is to say their courses are ‘world class’ while in fact no one else acknowledges this.
#22 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 4 March 2007 - 3:26 pm
If all Malaysian Universities are ranked more than 3000, it is frightening that they are all well BELOW the following Universities:
University of Guam
University of the South Pacific
University of the West Indies
Birzeit University of Palestine
Ho Chi Minh University
University of the Philippines
University of Dakar Senegal
University of Mauritius
University of Dar es Salaam
UAE University
University of Macau
University of Namibia
University of Zimbabwe
to name just a few.
So what sort of education our students are getting?
Are our universities now “banana Universities”?
#23 by johnsee on Monday, 5 March 2007 - 11:46 am
Hi all,
Actually, there ARE Malaysian universities listed in the 3,000 list. Did anyone bother to check (or double check) the list? If you open the South East Asian universities ranking (http://www.webometrics.info/Webometrics%20library/Sureste%20de%20Asia.pdf) , some of our universities are there, and within the 3,000 ranks.
1193 USM
1317 UTM
1338 MMU
1426 UPM
1475 UM
1503 UKM
2056 IIUM
2085 UUM
2110 UITM
2969 UMS
The rest are lower than 3,000. Sorry, btu I think it’s good to get facts right!
Anyway, our rankings are pathetic, to say the least. I’m at the lost to see so many universities from Thailand ranked far better than our own.
#24 by Danniel on Monday, 5 March 2007 - 11:57 am
World Class Universities??
Our government say only mah…, but everytime cannot deliver.
Talk big very easy, no need capital one.
Later you won’t be surprised if Bodowi would say all the world Universities rankings info are not correct and all are rubbish…
Such ostrich !
#25 by secondopinion on Monday, 5 March 2007 - 3:48 pm
There is a long, long way to go for Malaysian Unis to catch up with NUS and NTU from Singapore and the other 4 Unis from HK. The Ministry of Higher Education and the Unis themselves must always do more to aim high and strive to achive the results of a “world standard” Uni. Nothing can be done without the change of mind-set in this ever competitive globalised world of education.
Can the Malaysian Unis attract foreign Professors to teach in the local Unis? Can the local Unis conduct foreign exchange programs for their undergraduates with well-established foreign Unis like Stanford and John Hopkins in the US? The best law graduates of NUS will pursue their post-graduate courses LLM degrees in Harvard Law School and return to teach in NUS.
I have a friend whose daughter is in her 2nd year BSc Degree in Life Sciences in NUS. My friend told me that a selected group (based on merit and results/performance) of undergraduates will spend 3 weeks in LA, USA for attachement. Does the local Malaysian Unis have such programmes?
The only way for the local Unis to improve is to get the best candidates for its undergraduate programs and together with quality Professors and teaching staff to improve the overall standard of the Uni. Check out the website for NUS at nus.edu.sg and you will know what I mean.