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University of Malaya

Ranked
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Sustainability Impact Rated
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
201–250th in World University Rankings 2026
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About the University of Malaya

Basic information and contact details for the University of Malaya

institution

The University of Malaya, a public research university in Kuala Lumpur, is Malaysia’s oldest university, founded in 1905.

Originally known as the King Edward VII College of Medicine, it was created to solve a shortage of medical assistants in Singapore and Penang during the late 1890s. It was then housed in the old asylum near the Singapore General Hospital.

In 1949 the university merged with Raffles College, a school established in 1929 by the English for Malayans to study arts and social sciences, to become the University of Malaya, derived from the country’s name at the time.

In 1960, the government decided that, due to its rapid growth, the university would be divided into two national universities, one in Singapore (now an autonomous separate university known as the National University of Singapore), and the other in Kuala Lumpur (established as its own institution in 1962, still retaining its name as the University of Malaya).

The university’s Coat of Arms shows the leaves of the Palmyra palm, which were used as printing material for ancient Malay books. Across these is written the university’s motto, ‘Ilmu Puncha Kemajuan’, a mixture of words from Arabi, Sanskrit and Malay, which means "knowledge is the source of progress". In the centre are three Malayan tigers, symbolising the three main races in Malaysia: Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Today the campus is located 12km from the centre of Kuala Lumpur, on 920 acres, which include an Olympic sized swimming pool and a lake with kayaking. It has been granted self-accreditation since 2009, and has more than 60 research centres with six research clusters.

Notable alumni include two prime ministers of Malaysia, as well as many politicians and other prominent figures from Malaysia and abroad.

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Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at the University of Malaya

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
61 F : 39 M (1)
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International student percentage
32% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
9.7 (1)
student
Student total
18899 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2026

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Research Fellow / Engineer (Project Manager & Product Developer) - DJ1

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Junior Research Scientist in the Center for Smart Engineering Materials - Dr. Safiya Khalil

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI

New York University Abu Dhabi Corporation

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi

institution

New York University Abu Dhabi Corporation

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi


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SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (SIT)

Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

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Post-Doctoral Associate in the Division of Social Science (SSEL) - Dr. Andrzej Baranski

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI

New York University Abu Dhabi Corporation

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi

institution

New York University Abu Dhabi Corporation

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi


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Assistant Professor (Research) G7 - G8

DURHAM UNIVERSITY

Durham University

United Kingdom, Durham

institution

Durham University

United Kingdom, Durham


The Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life is a major new interdisciplinary research hub dedicated to the study of how machine learning and AI algorithms are transforming societies. The Centre is supported by £10 million in funding from the , for ten years, awarded through its 2025 Research Centre competition. Led by at the Centre's hub in , the Leverhulme Centre has collaborative partners in York, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Duke Universities. You can find more information on our interdisciplinary team. The Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life seeks to appoint up to seven talented researchers and scholars to the role of Assistant Professor (Research) for a period of 36 months to work on one or more of our four thematic programmes. We welcome applications from those with research interests in these broad fields, and we are particularly eager to hear from applicants with ambitions to develop their disciplinary expertise through interdisciplinary collaboration across the social sciences, humanities, and sciences. These posts offer exciting opportunities to make defining contributions to The Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life's research while providing excellent opportunities for to develop your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Centre's pages at... The successful candidates will join a lively and supportive research environment with emphasis on mentoring, career development, and the ambitious pursuit of cutting-edge research questions. The posts are based at Durham University, though with opportunities for mobility and exchange with our partner universities and organisations. Our researchers will have access to the dedicated Leverhulme Centre resource for research activity and development.  

Salary

£38784 - £56535 per annum

Posted

2 Jan 2026

Subjects Taught at the University of Malaya

See below for a range of subjects taught at the University of Malaya

Arts and Humanities

  • Architecture
  • Art, Performing Art and Design
  • History, Philosophy and Theology
  • Languages, Literature and Linguistics

Business and Economics

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business and Management
  • Economics and Econometrics

Computer Science

  • Computer Science

Education Studies

  • Education

Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • General Engineering
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Law

  • Law

Life Sciences

  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Sport Science
  • Veterinary Science

Medical and Health

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Other Health

Physical Sciences

  • Chemistry
  • Geology, Environmental, Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physics and Astronomy

Psychology

  • Psychology

Social Sciences

  • Communication and Media Studies
  • Geography
  • Politics and International Studies
  • Sociology