________________________________________________________________
APEX: ACCELERATED PROGRAMME FOR EXCELLENCE
When USM was given Apex status in 2008, it was expected to move up the World University Rankings with a target of top 200 in five years and top 100, if not top 50, by 2020.
It was ranked 307 in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2007.
—–
—–
3rd December 2013
YAHOO! NEWS MALAYSIA
‘Apex’ university bleeding talent over slow promotions, MP claims
The Malay Mail Online
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Malaysia’s “apex” university is losing academic staff in several key courses owing to unhappiness over allegedly slow career progression, DAP MP Dr Ko Chung Sen has claimed.
Frustrated by the purportedly dim prospects in their academic careers, some of the unnamed university’s “hardworking and well-qualified” staff that taught “critical courses” – medicine, dentistry and pharmacy – are opting to join other universities and even the private sector, Ko claimed.
Although Ko did not name the university, he said the institution was awarded “Apex University” status in 2008 when it achieved the 307th spot in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, but noted that it has since fallen to the 355th place this year despite “hundreds of millions” of extra funding.
“It was disheartening to hear from a concerned academic that many highly qualified academicians are leaving the critical courses in an Apex University because of the slow process in the promotional exercise,” the Kampar MP said in a statement today without naming the “concerned academic”.
…
The government had previously granted Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) – one of the country’s leading institutions of higher learning – the status of “apex university”.
In QS’s World University Rankings 2013-2014, USM and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) shared the 355th spot.
In the same global ranking, Universiti Malaya at 167 had the highest ranking among local institutions here, followed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia at 269.
…
In response to The Malay Mail Online’s query, USM’s public relations office’s head Mohamad Abdullah said Ko’s claims were not true, saying that the university promotes its academic staff “annually”.
“To say ‘no promotions at all’ is not true,” he told The Malay Mail Online over the phone, explaining that USM was “selective” and “careful” in deciding on the promotion of its academic staff.
“As an Apex University we want talent. And promotional process is a quality benchmarking process and takes time,” he later added.
http://my.news.yahoo.com/apex-university-bleeding-talent-over-slow-promotions-mp-121300704.html
—–
When USM was given Apex status in 2008, it was expected to move up the World University Rankings with a target of top 200 in five years and top 100, if not top 50, by 2020.
It was ranked 307 in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2007.
—
Malays J Med Sci. 2009 Jan-Mar; 16(1): 1–6.
The questions that MJMS Editor Prof. Jafri Malin Abdullah asked were focused mainly on the new APEX status. We were interested to learn how this would impact human resources, research and infrastructure concerning the medical, dental, pharmacy, health and biomedical sciences communities over the next few years
PUTRAJAYA: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been granted apex status. With it, USM can expect hundreds of millions of ringgit in additional funding to transform it into Malaysia’s first world-class university.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that quantitative and qualitative criteria were used to select USM under the accelerated programme for excellence (apex).
Announcement time: Khaled flanked by deputies Dr Hou Kok Chung (right) and Datuk Idris Haron with a copy of the statement announcing USM as the country’s first apex university. “The selection committee evaluated each university’s state of readiness, transformation plan and preparedness for change.
“After a thorough evaluation, the committee decided that only one university truly met all the criteria, namely USM,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The Cabinet had agreed to USM being given the apex status on Aug 27.
The university that is given apex status is one that has the greatest potential among Malaysian universities to be world-class, and as such, would be given additional assistance to compete with top-ranked global institutions, added Khaled.
He said with apex status, USM will be expected to move up the World University Rankings with a target of top 200 in five years’ and top 100, if not top 50, by 2020.
He said with apex status, USM will be expected to move up the World University Rankings with a target of top 200 in five years’ and top 100, if not top 50, by 2020.
In last year’s Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, Universiti Malaya (UM) was the highest ranked Malaysian university at 246, followed by USM (307), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (309) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (364).
http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx?file=%2f2008%2f9%2f4%2fnation%2f22236521
————————————————————————————-
weehingthong 
THES is a profit-making company – it makes money by judging others.
The most trustworthy ranking must be done by Non-Profit organisations such United Nation or government bodies. According to Malaysian govt sole ranking body, MyRA2, USM has been number 1 for almost a decade, UPM second, UM third. MyRA2 has different criteria in that the focus is on impact on the public and people.
THES and QS are known to accept “donations” from universities that resulted in the coincidential increase in that university ranking