Curtin University moves ahead in prestigious World University Rankings

Miri – 9 October 2015 – Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), the largest international campus of Western Australia’s Curtin University in Sarawak, Malaysia, applauds the university’s continued rise in the QS World University Rankings (QSWUR). Curtin has improved its rankings from 331 last year to equal 284 in the world.

This follows a significant rise in its ranking in the equally highly regarded Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) in August, which placed Curtin University in the 201-300 band worldwide and number 11 in Australia.

Curtin Sarawak Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski said this recent rise in the QSWUR rankings augurs well for the strength and marketability of the Curtin programmes the Malaysian campus offers.

He said Curtin Sarawak prides itself on offering identical academic programmes and an undifferentiated student learning experience, as well as a shared commitment to excellence in education and research, as its parent campus in Perth.

Students at Curtin Sarawak use the same unit structures and study materials as their counterparts in Australia, and receive degrees awarded directly by the main campus. Moreover, they can transfer to the main campus at any time to complete their studies.

“The international recognition Curtin University has received through the QSWUR and other global university ranking systems reflects well on Curtin Sarawak. It is testimony of the quality of our academic programmes, teaching and research, as well as our graduate employability, internationalisation, facilities and management systems,” he remarked.

Professor Mienczakowski added that Curtin’s recent rise in the QSWUR rankings was largely attributed to the university’s enhanced research, engagement and education performance and its improved international reputation – aspects that have also seen significant growth at Curtin Sarawak in recent years.

Curtin University was also awarded five stars overall in the 2015 QS Stars University Ratings based on its performance across eight assessed categories including teaching, employability, internationalisation, facilities, innovation, specialist criteria and inclusiveness, and research. This follows an equally strong debut in the 2014 QS Stars ratings.

On the aspect of internationalisation, Professor Meinczakowski pointed out that Curtin University is ranked equal 10th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking’s (THEWUR) 100 Most International Universities in the World ranking. This, he said, demonstrates Curtin’s ability to attract students from around the globe and to collaborate with international colleagues.

In addition, it featured in 19 out of 36 subjects in the 2015 QS World University Rankings by Subject, which rank universities at individual subject levels based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact.

Professor Mienczakowski said those wishing to enrol at Curtin Sarawak should note that Curtin ranks in the world’s top 100 for chemical engineering and earth and marine sciences, and top 150 for electrical and electronic engineering and communication and media studies.

It is also in the top 200 for civil engineering, computer science and information systems, environmental sciences, accounting and finance, and business and management studies; and top 300 in mechanical engineering.

Curtin Sarawak offers a range of Curtin undergraduate courses in these disciplines, as well as postgraduate courses by coursework or research in many of them.

In the ARWU subject rankings, Curtin now ranks eighth in Australia for ‘Engineering/Technology and Computer Science’, placing in the 101-150 band, and fourth in Australia for the ARWU’s Subject of Mathematics, placing in the 151-200 band. Curtin is the only Western Australian university to rank in the top 200 in the world for these ARWU disciplines.

On the home front, Curtin Sarawak achieved a ‘Tier 5’ or ‘Excellent’ rating under the 2013 Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions or Sistem Penarafan Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (SETARA ‘13). It achieved similar ratings in the two previous SETARA rating exercises carried out by the Malaysian Qualification Agency in 2009 and 2011.

It also achieved a Tier 5 rating for its engineering programmes under the discipline-based D-SETARA Rating System in 2014.

Curtin University moves ahead in World University Rankings.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski says recent ranking augurs well for Curtin Sarawak.