MALAYSIA is cited as a model of internationalisation and system coordination, having nearly achieved its target of 250,000 international students by 2025.
Its universities combine affordability, cultural openness and global credibility, making it one of the region’s fastest-growing education destinations.
It was also recognised for its high share of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates, a key factor supporting its manufacturing and innovation sectors, with universities such as UM, UTM and USM driving collaborative research across borders.
This is according to the QS report “How universities are shaping Asean’s tomorrow”, which explores how Asean higher education systems are fuelling economic transformation through skills, research and sustainability.
Released together with the rankings, the report finds that aligning higher education with labour-market demand could unlock up to US$900bil (RM3.75tril) in additional economic value across Asean by 2035, underscoring the pivotal role universities play in preparing the workforce for the digital, artificial intelligence, and green transitions.
QS chief executive officer Jessica Turner said Malaysia’s progress demonstrates the power of education as an engine of inclusive growth.
The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 features 1,529 universities across 25 higher education systems, evaluated across 11 indicators: Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty-Student Ratio, Citations per Paper, Papers per Faculty, Staff with Phd, International Research Network, International Faculty, International Students, Inbound Exchange Students, and Outbound Exchange Students.
The University of Hong Kong was crowned Asia’s top institution, overtaking last year’s leader Peking University, which now ranks second. National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University share third place. Fudan University remains fifth, while The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology leaps from 11th to sixth. The Chinese University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong tie for seventh, followed by Tsinghua University in ninth, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University rounding off the region’s top 10.
The latest edition of the QS rankings saw 49 Malaysian universities ranked: 30 improved, 10 declined, and nine entered the rankings for the first time.
The full 17th edition of the rankings, released on Nov 4, is available at https://www.topuniversities.com/asia-university-rankings.
