Curtin University strategies result in improved world ranking

Miri – 30 August 2016 – Curtin University has again significantly improved its position in the highly-regarded Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Curtin University’s rank is estimated to be 211 in the world in the 2016 ARWU rankings, up from 270 in 2015, and is now placed 10th in Australia.

Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the results illustrate Curtin’s increasing prominence as a national and global research leader.

“Curtin’s strong and consistent performance in this key ranking over the past few years, indicates the strength of our reputation and the depth and increasing breadth of our research strengths,” Professor Terry said.

“It is gratifying to see evidence that our efforts to drive excellence in research are having a significant impact on our global reputation.”

These latest results have also been well received at Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), Curtin University’s largest international campus in Miri, Sarawak.

Curtin Sarawak Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski remarked that Curtin University’s continual rise up the various global rankings has greatly enhanced the reputation of both the main and international campuses.

“As Curtin continues to receive global recognition in the rankings, our students, staff and alumni can be proud to be involved with one of the leading education providers in the world,” Professor Mienczakowski said.

The ARWU listing is released annually by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a fully independent organisation dedicated to research on higher education.

Professor Mienczakowski added that only recently, Curtin University had been ranked among the world’s top universities in six engineering subjects in ShanghaiRanking’s 2016 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, including a top 50 position in two of the subjects (Energy Science & Engineering and Civil Engineering) and a top 150 position in a further two (Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science & Engineering).

Courses at Curtin Sarawak are run using the same unit structures and study materials as the main campus and degrees earned are awarded directly by Curtin University. Consequently, it also provides an undifferentiated student learning experience and similar learning support mechanisms, and students can transfer to Perth at any time to complete their degrees.

According to Professor Mienczakowski, Curtin University’s strong and well-respected courses are core to Curtin Sarawak’s strengths. Studying the courses not only ensure graduates world-class Curtin degrees and the practical experience required to further their careers, but through professional accreditation of all the courses, recognition of their qualifications nationally and internationally.

He said the quality is also apparent in Curtin’s achievement in another well-respected global subject ranking, the QS World University Ranking (QSWUR) by Subject. In the latest 2016 ranking, it has two subjects in the world’s top 50 and 12 other subjects in the top 200.

In addition, Curtin University ranks highly in the QS World University Ranking (QSWUR) and Times Higher Education World University Ranking (THEWUR), and was awarded overall five stars in the 2015 QS Stars University Ratings.

In Malaysia, Curtin Sarawak holds Tier 5 or Excellent ratings from the Ministry of Higher Education for overall quality and its engineering programmes and it is one of only eight universities in Malaysia granted self-accrediting status.

Professor Jim Mienczakowski, Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive of Curtin Sarawak.

Curtin University’s latest achievement in ARWU well received at Curtin Sarawak, its largest international campus.