SINTOK, 2 February 2026: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) aims to be ranked among the world’s top 300 universities in the QS World University Rankings by 2030 compared to its current position of around 491. Achieving this goal will require more aggressive and decisive action at all levels of university management and faculties.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said that a slow and complacent approach is no longer relevant. Instead, all university staff must move swiftly and remain focused on achieving the key performance indicators (KPIs) that have been set.
“Now is not the time to walk, but the time to run. When someone holds the position of Head of Centre of Authority (PTJ), that is the time to deliver results and achieve targets.
“One of the primary priorities is improving the university’s ranking position in Asia and Southeast Asia, in line with national aspirations and the collective commitment of Vice-Chancellors of public universities across the country,” he said at the Vice-Chancellor’s New Year Address held at EDC-UUM, today.
He also highlighted the importance of balancing the ratio of undergraduate and postgraduate students. He noted that leading global universities aim for a near 1:1 ratio, a benchmark recently discussed with the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya.
For this year, according to him, UUM is targeting a total enrolment of 3,000 international students across both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
“To date, we have recorded 1,919 international student registrations. This shows that more aggressive promotion and student recruitment efforts are needed.
“In response to this need, the University Marketing Division has been rebranded as the Recruitment and Global Engagement Division, with the appointment of young leadership to spearhead the effort. The new direction emphasises active, on-the-ground engagement to attract students, rather than relying solely on conventional promotional activities,” he said.
He also reminded that participation in promotional programmes must yield tangible outcomes, particularly in terms of bringing home a substantial number of new students.
In addition, the university also sees great potential in the field of Early Childhood Education, in line with the nation’s growing demand for qualified teaching staff. UUM is expected to become the third institution in Malaysia to offer this programme after Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and Open University Malaysia.
“This is the right time for the School of Education (SOE) to move forward. We must reduce bureaucratic red tape, avoid internal conflicts, and focus on the opportunities before us,” he said.
He further emphasised that universities must be proactive and open to strategic collaboration. Institutions should not just wait for opportunities to emerge but must take the initiative to create opportunities in order to ensure the sustainability and long-term excellence of the institution.
Also present were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Dr. Ram Al Jaffri Saad who is also performing the duties of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni); Registrar, Mr Ahmad Rasidi Abdullah and Bursar, Mr Mohtar Hasim.
