(This is reproduced from the posting I made on my Facebook Page on 6th July 2026.)

Every year the QS World University Rankings come out, I think many academic leaders of tertiary institutions will hold their breath a little. Rankings are one of the rare moments where years of quiet work get measured against the entire world.

This year, SEGi climbed from #731–740 to #701–710. With over 50,000 universities competing globally, that puts us in the top 1.5% in the world. Numbers don’t lie. But they don’t tell the whole story either.

QS measures the things that are hard to fake – academic reputation, employability, research strength, faculty diversity. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s a mirror.

(Here’s a soft shoutout to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak – UNIMAS – back in my home state of Sarawak – currently in the #1001–1200 band. And also to Universiti Malaysia Sabah, the other East Malaysian public university which is in the same #1001-1200 category. With their resources and excellent records, I’ve no doubt they’ll climb upwards too in the years to come).

For us, this ranking isn’t a trophy. It’s a receipt – proof that the work is adding up to something real. And our students are the reason it matters. They study alongside peers from over 90 countries, guided by a faculty so diverse that SEGi now ranks among the top 6 in Malaysia for International Faculty.

That’s not decoration. That’s preparation for a world that won’t ask where you’re from before it asks what you can do.

We’re also grounded by SEGi leaders who set the bar high – among them our Chairman of the Board, Tun Md Raus Sharif, former Chief Justice of Malaysia, and our Chancellor, YAM Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Syed Anwar Jamalullail of the Perlis royal family, also a well respected corporate figure.

Rankings may rise and fall. But true standard behind them shouldn’t.