USM PENANG, 26 January 2026 — Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) enters 2026 with a renewed determination to strengthen its role as an impact-driven university, as Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, unveiled a bold, progressive, and future-oriented strategic direction during the Vice-Chancellor’s Address 2026 at the Main Campus today.

Addressing the university’s leadership, academic community, administrative staff, and students, he emphasised that universities can no longer function solely as traditional centres of knowledge dissemination. Instead, they must evolve into value creators, problem solvers, and key drivers of societal and national well-being.

“The year 2026 demands that universities move with greater precision, courage, and purpose. At USM, we do not wait for the future, we create it,” he said, introducing the theme of the address, “Leading Excellence, Shaping Global Impact.”

USM and the National Higher Education Transformation

The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed USM’s strong commitment to the Malaysia Higher Education Plan (RPTM) 2026–2035, recently launched by Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The plan serves as the national framework to ensure Malaysia’s higher education system remains relevant, competitive, and future-ready.

He noted that USM’s strategic direction is closely aligned with national aspirations, particularly in strengthening global excellence, sustainability, flexible education, and human-centric talent development, in line with USM’s status as the nation’s only APEX university.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Core Enabler of Transformation

One of the key highlights of the address was USM’s significant progress in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across its academic offerings. As of 2025, AI has been embedded in 82 percent of academic programmes, covering 69 out of 84 programmes.

USM is targeting full AI integration by 2026, in line with the Ministry of Higher Education’s vision of AI as a core enabler of higher education transformation.

This initiative spans the entire university ecosystem, encompassing teaching and learning, research, governance, and national talent development, to ensure that USM graduates are well prepared for a technology-driven and increasingly complex future workforce.

Excellence in High-Impact Research and Innovation

USM continues to consolidate its standing as a leading research university, recording strong achievements throughout 2025.

In terms of funding, USM secured RM53 million in external research grants and disbursed RM12 million in internal grants, while maintaining a RM37 million research funding ceiling for 2025 and 2026 to sustain its research ecosystem, postdoctoral support, and technology transfer initiatives.

To accelerate impact, USM will further strengthen initiatives such as Lab-to-Market programmes, the Entrepreneurial Postdoctoral Scheme, and increase matching funds for strategic collaborations to 20 per cent in 2026.

Notable Engineering Hub and Cancer Reference Centre

The long-standing leadership and contributions of His Majesty Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia for 25 years, were formally honoured with the proclamation of the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Engineering Campus, recognising His Majesty’s enduring commitment to the growth and development of the university.

In the field of healthcare, the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (IPPT) was officially recognised as a Clinical Specialist and Cancer Research Centre and subsequently rebranded as the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Cancer Centre, further strengthening USM’s role as a notable reference centre for cancer research and treatment at both national and regional levels.

Sustainability Leadership and Global Standing

USM continued to strengthen its global profile by rising to 14th place worldwide in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025. Three Sustainable Development Goals SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) were recognised among the best globally.

These achievements further solidify USM’s reputation as a global sustainability leader, with a clear commitment to translating recognition into translational actions that deliver tangible benefits to communities.

Strong Financial Performance and Good Governance

Financially, USM recorded a surplus of RM279 million in 2025, nearly double the previous year’s figure. To ensure long-term sustainability, the university will diversify its income streams through high-value postgraduate programmes, endowments, waqf initiatives, research commercialisation, and industry partnerships.

USM also announced the implementation of several new policies in 2026, including the AI in Teaching and Learning Policy, Inclusive Education Policy, Carbon Emission Policy, and Gender Equality Policy, further strengthening governance aligned with global values and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Shaping the Future Together

Concluding the address, the Vice-Chancellor stressed that the success of USM should not be measured by rankings and figures alone, but by its real impact on students’ lives, societal well-being, national policy development, and Malaysia’s contributions on the global stage.

He added that 2026 calls upon universities to lead change with courage, uphold humanistic values, and translate knowledge into meaningful solutions.

“The year 2026 is our moment to lead and inspire. It is the time to show that USM’s excellence stands on principle, courage, and meaningful impact. Together, we carry the responsibility of shaping the future of both the university and the nation,” he said.

Editor: Associate Professor Dr. Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed Ismail, Senior Editorial Consultant @ MPRC USM