Universiti Sains Malaysia

Universiti Sains Malaysia (lit. 'Science University of Malaysia'; abbreviated as USM) is a public research university in Malaysia. Founded on 1 June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, it is among the oldest institutes of higher learning in Northern Malaysia. It has three campuses: a main campus on the island of Penang, a health campus in Kelantan, and an engineering campus in Nibong Tebal.

Universiti Sains Malaysia
Coat of arms
MottoKami Memimpin (Malay)
Motto in English
We Lead
TypePublic research university
Established1 June 1969[1]
ChancellorSirajuddin of Perlis
Vice-ChancellorProfessor Dato' Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed (FASc)[2]
Academic staff
2,206[3]
Students24,375 (2016)[3]
Undergraduates17,306 (2016)[3]
Postgraduates7,069 (2016)[3]
Address
Level 1, Building E42, Chancellory II Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 USM Penang, Malaysia
,
Penang
,
Malaysia
CampusMain Campus
(Gelugor, Penang)
Health Campus
(Kubang Kerian, Kelantan)
Engineering Campus
(Nibong Tebal, Penang)
International Medical Programme Campus
(Belgaum, India)
ColoursPurple and orange
   
AffiliationsASAIHL, ACU, FUIW, APUCEN, UAiTED
Websitewww.usm.my

USM is the only Accelerated Programs for Excellence (APEX) government-funded autonomous university in Malaysia.[4][5] Like most of other universities in Malaysia, USM also used English as its medium of instruction.

History
Logo of Universiti Sains Malaysia's Accelerated Programme for Excellence (APEX). It is sometimes used alongside the University's main logo.
USM's logotype.

The idea of a university in Penang was first mooted by D. S. Ramanathan in 1959 in the State Assembly and later crystallised when he was nominated chairman of the Penang University Project committee.[6] The acquisition of a piece of land in Sungai Ara was then followed by the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman on 7 August 1967.

USM was established as a statutory body and the second university in Malaysia in 1969. It was first known as the University of Penang (Malay: Universiti Pulau Pinang). The university operated on borrowed premises at the Malayan Teachers' Training College at Gelugor, with only 57 science-based students in the beginning. In 1971, it moved to its present 239-hectare site at Minden (formerly Minden Barracks of the British Far East Command) in Gelugor, 10 kilometres from the city of Georgetown.

Apart from the main campus, there are two other USM campuses: one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan, known as the Health campus, and the other at Seri Ampangan, Nibong Tebal in Penang, known as the Engineering campus. The former houses the School of Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Dental Sciences, while the latter houses the six engineering schools.

On 3 September 2008, the Ministry of Higher Education under Mohamed Khaled Nordin selected USM to implement the Accelerated Programme for Excellence (APEX), a fast track development programme created to enable institutions of higher education to be recognised as world class entities.[7][8]

Coat of arms
See also: Coat of arms of Penang § Penang Island City Council, and Coat of arms of Malaysia

The coat of arms of Universiti Sains Malaysia was first introduced in June 1972 and modernised in 2009. Its initial draft was designed by York Heralds of Arms in London, before being perfected by an artist and Penang Free School (PFS) teacher, Mr. G.S. Reutens.[9]

The arms features a crescent moon and a fourteen-pointed federal star, two tigers holding palm fronds, a native shield and a motto. The shield itself displays an open book in front of a pair of crisscrossed krises (Malay dagger) in the chief (upper part) and the national flower Bunga Raya or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flower in the base (remainder). The open book represents knowledge, the krises represent royalty, the crescent represents islam, the 14-pointed federal star represents the thirteen states and the Federal Territories, the tigers represent strength and courage and the palm fronds represents economic prosperity.[10][11]

Although this arms contains much local symbolism, it generally conforms to traditional English heraldic principles, and may be blazoned as follows.

Shield: Purpure in chief in front of two krises in saltire an open book and in base a Bunga Raya or hibiscus flower all proper.

Crest: On a wreath of the Colours a crescent therefrom issuant a fourteen-pointed federal star Or.

Supporters: Two tigers rampant, each holding a palm frond proper.

Motto: "Kami Memimpin" (Malay: "We Lead")

Since 2003, the USM coat of arms is accompanied by the university's logotype designed by Anthony Tan Chee Kian, featuring the initials U, S and M attached to one another and the university's name in full written in capital letters –'UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA' as seen on its corporate logo.

Universiti Sains Malaysia is currently one of the three public universities in Malaysia to adopt its coat of arms, the other two are the University of Malaya and the National University of Malaysia.

List of vice-chancellors

The following is a list of vice-chancellors of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

No. Vice-Chancellor Academic Qualification Honorable & Awards Received Term in office
1 Hamzah Sendut Bachelor of Arts in Geography(Malaya), Master of Civil Design(Liverpool), PhD in Science(Tokyo). PSM, DSPN, Hon. Doc.(Strathclyde), Hon. Doc.(Kyung Hee), Hon Doc.(USM) 1969–1976
2 Hamdan Sheikh Tahir Bachelor of Arts in History(Malaya), Master of Social Science(Nottingham). SMN, PSM, DMPN, KMN, Hon. Doc.(USM), Hon. Doc.(UPM) 1976–1982
3 Musa Mohamad Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy(Singapore), Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Technology(London). PSM, DSPN, Hon. Doc.(USM), Hon. Doc.(UMS), Hon. Doc.(UNIMAP), Hon. Doc.(UTHM), Hon. Doc.(UMT), Hon. Doc.(UCSI). 1982–1995
4 Ishak Tambi Kechik 1995–2000
5 Dzulkifli Abdul Razak Bachelor of Pharmacy(USM), Master of Science in Pharmacology(Strathclyde). PSM, DSPN, Hon. Doc.(Portsmouth), Hon. Doc.(Nottingham), Hon. Doc.(Istanbul). 2000–2011
6 Omar Osman Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying(USM), Master of Science in Construction Management(Heriot-Watt), PhD in Project Management(London). DSPJ. 2011–2016
7 Asma Ismail Bachelor of Science in Biology(Nevada), Master of Science in Microbiology(Indiana), PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology(Nevada). PJN, Hon. Doc.(Glasgow), Hon. Doc.(Keele), Hon. Doc.(Kyoto). 2016–2019
8 Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan Bachelor of Electrical & Electronical Engineering(Manchester), Master of Engineering(Malaya), PhD in Integrated Optical Devices(Southampton). DMPN 2019-2022
9 Abdul Rahman Mohamed Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (Southern California), Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (New Hampshire), PhD in Chemical Engineering (New Hampshire). D.S.P.J., J.M.N., B.C.N., FASc., CEng., FIChemE, P.Eng 2023-Present

Organisation

Chief Integrity Officer

In July 2012, following a presentation by the Chief of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the VC of USM promises to create a new role of Chief Integrity Officer to cultivate academic integrity among students, lecturers and staff.[12] The current Chief Integrity Officer is Dr. Khairul Anuar Che Azmi, the university's first ombudsman and is also the Legal Advisor.

Campuses

The Main campus has the name of a German city (Minden) because the campus was built on the territory of the former British Minden Barracks, which themselves were named after the Battle of Minden.

Besides the main campus in Minden, USM has one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan known as Health Campus and another at Seri Ampangan, Nibong Tebal in mainland Penang known as Engineering Campus.

Started as a USM hospital in 1982, the Health campus has expanded after the School of Medical Science was moved from the main campus to the present site which is 73 hectares. The School of Medical Science was moved from the main campus in June 1984. There are two other schools in the health campus — the School of Dental Science and the School of Allied Health Sciences.

The Engineering Campus was originally located at Tronoh, Perak, and named Perak Branch Campus (KCP). After operating in the state for 15 years (1986–2001), the Engineering Campus moved to the present site in Nibong Tebal, Penang.

The Library of Universiti Sains Malaysia is located within campus.

  • Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra: The main auditorium of USM on the main campus on Penang Island
    Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra: The main auditorium of USM on the main campus on Penang Island
  • The main gate of the main campus
    The main gate of the main campus
  • The international office of USM now known as International Mobility & Collaboration Centre or IMCC
    The international office of USM now known as International Mobility & Collaboration Centre or IMCC

Activities
The football field on USM main campus

USM provides sporting facilities such as archery range, cricket, football field, badminton courts, tennis courts, hockey ground, rugby field, softball, squash courts, and basketball courts. Its ground was used for the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup.

Among others, USM has a jazz orchestra called the USM Jazz Band that is composed of student musicians from various schools in the university.[13]

Ranking

The university was ranked 111th in the World University Rankings 2004[14] published by the Times Higher Education Supplement.

On 2015, USM was ranked 87th in Best Global Universities for Engineering of U.S. News & World Report College and University Ranking.[15]

Ranking 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
QS World University Rankings[16] 137 143 147 142 165 207 264 330 289 309 355 326
Academic Ranking of World Universities 401–500

Notable alumni
For a more comprehensive list, see List of Universiti Sains Malaysia alumni.

The alumni of Universiti Sains Malaysia include politicians such as Mohd Ali Rustam, current Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca, Chow Kon Yeow, current Chief Minister of Penang, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, current Menteri Besar of Pahang, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, current Menteri Besar of Kedah and Yusril Ihza Mahendra, current general chairman of the Crescent Star Party (Indonesia).

References
  1. "Hamzah Sendut: Malay Civilisation". Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  2. "Faisal Rafiq dilantik naib canselor baru USM | Free Malaysia Today". Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  3. "Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Top Universities". Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  4. "MALAYSIA: Autonomy for five universities – University World News". www.universityworldnews.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  5. "Four more universities get autonomy". www.thesundaily.my. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  6. Wong Chun Wai (5 August 2013). "Community: George Town's first mayor a fiery man Community". The Star Online. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  7. Simrit Kaur and Karen Chapman (4 September 2008). "USM gets apex status". The Star (Malaysia). Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  8. USM is APEX varsity
  9. "Official Crest".
  10. USM Logo
  11. "Profile: The Emblem of Universiti Sains Malaysia".
  12. "Archived". thestar.com.my. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  13. USM Jazz Band (2016). A Jazzy Mélange. Penang: Pearl Island Brainchild. ISBN 978-967-10607-2-8.
  14. World University Rankings 2004
  15. "Universiti Sains Malaysia". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  16. "Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Rankings". Top Universities. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
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