KUCHING – Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus is one of the 18 Higher Education Institutions that achieved Tier 5: ‘excellent’ status in the 2009 MQA Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA ’09).
“With the granting of self -accreditation status to Swinburne Sarawak by the Minister of Higher Education recently, which comes with full recognition of the University’s programs by Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), the SETARA ’09 ranking adds another feather to the University’s cap” said Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Swinburne Sarawak.
He also said that the ranking exercise is in keeping with the current intention of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) to phase out the distinctions between IPTA and IPTS in many spheres of activity and to task the entire IPT community to work towards achieving a world-class tertiary education system and contribute to making Malaysia and education and research hub in the region.
The 2009 MQA Rating System for Higher Education (SETARA ‘09) uses a rating mechanism that measures the performance of undergraduate teaching and learning in universities and university colleges in Malaysia. The rating exercise was carried out between October 2009 and June 2010 and involved 58 universities and university colleges.
SETARA ’09 used a total of 25 criteria captured through 82 indicators comprised of a framework of Input, Process and Output. The resulting rating system uses a six-tier system of categorization with Tier 6 classed as Outstanding and Tier 1 as Weak. The framework also allows for a group on non-ranked institutions tasked with further development and improvement before being ranked.
“Importantly”, as Prof. Helmut affirms, “Swinburne Sarawak is part of an Australian university that understands the graduate of tomorrow needs to be prepared to either go out into the world, or in our particular case, to be also able to take advantage of the world coming to Sarawak – the fast development of which the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is a part, demands a new type of graduate with the attitudes, skills and knowledge to help create development and wealth for the state, as well as a successful career for themselves”.
Swinburne University of Technology is a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities and the Community Colleges for International Development group. Swinburne has an international partnership with Northeastern University in Boston in delivering the Global Leadership Program and has been named amongst the top universities in the world in both the prestigious Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Rankings and Times Higher Education University Rankings. The awarding of self accreditation status by the Minister and now being ranked as ‘excellent’ in the SETARA ’09 process shows that Swinburne’s status as a first-class provider of education is recognized in Malaysia as well. “Countries sending their students to Swinburne Sarawak can now be further assured that all government instrumentalities in Malaysia recognize the high quality of Swinburne programs,” he added.
Swinburne University of Technology, a not-for-profit public university in Australia, in partnership with the state government of Sarawak, continues to provide opportunity to students from Sarawak, Malaysia and the wider region – the SETARA rankings are further proof that Swinburne continues to have the quality programs in place to graduate skillful, employable students.