UM > USM > UKM ...None in Top 200!

One of the hot topics recently would be the THES-QS World University Rankings 2007: Top 2007 which was just released.

Anyone still remember that last year 'we' were so happy for UKM and UM to be listed among the Top 200?

The result:
UM 192 ('06) -> 246 ('07)
USM 277 ('06) -> 307 ('07)
UKM 185 ('06) -> 309 ('07)

Now, Malaysia has failed to secure any position in Top 200 this year..
Our USM, which has just appeared as 5-star Outstanding University based on a survey carried out by National Accreditation Board (LAN), has fallen to 307th from 277th last year... and is now ranked as 2nd 'best' in our country then... since UM is at 246th now....

UKM is in worse situation as it had just become better in ranking than UM last year and appeared as the best in our country, but now its position has fallen from 185th to 309th!

so-called Reasons and explanations had been given by the authorities ..... if you're interested to know them and for more detailed informations, you may follow the links below:
and quotes from some of the resources:

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2079721/Article/index_html
UKM and UM vice-chancellors attributed their fall to the new methodology used to calculate rankings this year.
"Even the National University of Singapore (NUS) has dropped to the 33rd spot when it was always within the top 10," Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim said.
[it's a wrong statement... NUS was at 19th last year!]

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/9/nation/19424468&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: Local public universities have been told to make academic reputation their main strategy so that their world rankings can be improved, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.
“Since the peer review and citations carry high marks, I have directed all vice-chancellors to make academic reputation their main strategy in improving their institutions,” he said in a statement yesterday

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli said Universiti Malaya (UM) was the highest ranked at 246, followed by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at 307, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) at 309 and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) at 364.
“This in no way reflects their quality as we know they have been working hard,” he said in an interview.

Quacquarelli said calculations for rankings were based on data gathered under peer review (40%), recruiter review (10%), international faculty ratio (5%), international students ratio (5%), student faculty ratio (5%) and citations per faculty (20%).


http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/11/09/malaysia-completely-out-of-thes-qc-200-top-universities-ranking-a-national-shame/
Rafiah is right that NUS has dropped in this year’s ranking but wrong in saying that NUS was “within the top 10” last year.
NUS was ranked No. 19 last year and has dropped to No. 33 – a fall of 14 placings. In contrast, UM has dropped 54 places.
Even more pertinent, UM at 246th spot is now 213 places behind NUS (No. 33)! Why is this so when both universities had started off on almost the same footing half-a-century ago?


http://www.sinchew.com.my/content.phtml?sec=1&sdate=&artid=200711091225
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/74556
In fact, the ranking shows that we are really WEAK! Malaysia Boleh? The authorities should really think of the practical ways to improve the standards and qualities, but not only to say something to comfort ourselves, to give excuses again and again...
If not, our Malaysian Universities will drop in their ranking from year to year!
okay... gambateh USM! lolz...