The Impact Factor
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) maintained its rank as the fourth-best university in the world in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023. The university also achieved the first rank in Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16), which is about peace, justice, and strong institutions. The university’s contribution to the country’s science realm has been immense. For instance, USM recently developed a Medical Science interactive gallery to house over 200 human specimens valued at RM2.4 million. According to Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed, USM’s vice-chancellor, the gallery will be known as SPICES, and it is the first of its kind in Malaysia. The Museum, which is situated at USM’s School of Medical Sciences (PPSP) in Kubang Kerian, Kota Baru in Kelantan, is also equipped with three-dimensional (3D), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) teaching and learning methods.
On the other hand, USM’s Global Archaeology Research Centre (GARC) and National Heritage Department recently announced the discovery of the largest Buddhist temple structure in Bukit Choras, dating back 1,200 years. It is quite an achievement that the GARC team was able to recover most of the artifacts still intact, with the temple retaining its full structure. The team headed by GARC chief researcher Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw also found two life-sized statues made of stucco (a kind of plaster), which have the same architectural style as the ancient Srivijaya Kingdom artifacts that were found in Sumatra and West Java, Indonesia.
Founded in 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution, USM is one of Malaysia's oldest institutes of higher education. We dedicate this yearly special issue to the prestigious global alumni of USM.