A RECENT critique of Malaysian universities' obsession with rankings in the local media raises important points, especially regarding how the pursuit of these metrics can overshadow the core mission of institutions.
The chase for rankings can divert resources and focus attention away from what truly matters — quality education, meaningful research and community contributions.
Celebrating marginal ranking improvements, such as moving from 469th to 463rd, can feel misplaced if fundamental issues within our universities remain unaddressed.
The critique on local research relevance is another valid point that deserves attention. The lack of rigourous studies on issues critical to Malaysia, such as financial mismanagement or leveraging our extensive coastline for marine biology research, is indeed a missed opportunity.
But this isn't necessarily a flaw in the rankings themselves. It reflects deeper issues in research priorities and funding allocations within our universities.
At their best, rankings provide benchmarks that allow universities to identify areas for growth. For Malaysian institutions aspiring to compete on the global stage, rankings can help attract international partnerships, research funding, and talented lecturers and students.
They serve as external motivators, pushing universities to continuously improve their teaching standards, research output and infrastructure. The key, therefore, is not to abandon rankings in their entirety but to use them as a tool to guide our progress.
Take UM's recent performance in the QS World University Rankings: Asia, where it achieved 12th place. Beyond the celebration, this milestone reflects years of hard work in improving research capacity, fostering collaborations and attracting foreign students.
These are tangible improvements that benefit not just the university, but also the broader Malaysian academic ecosystem.
Note that rankings like QS include diverse metrics, such as employer reputation and internationalisation, which, while imperfect, provide some insight into how institutions prepare their students for the real world.
Universities are complex institutions with diverse stakeholders, and rankings are just one lens through which they can be evaluated. It's not about choosing between chasing rankings and focusing on fundamentals.
By addressing fundamental issues such as improving student intake, strengthening academic hiring criteria, and enhancing research relevance, Malaysian universities will naturally rise in rankings as a by-product of their genuine quality.
Ranking systems are not inherently bad, they are tools. How we use those tools determines whether they become a distraction or a driver of meaningful progress.
DR NAHRIZUL ADIB KADRI
Principal,
Ibnu Sina Residential College,
Universiti Malaya
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times