As Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) celebrates its surge into the 801–850 band of the QS World University Rankings 2026, it is a perfect time to reflect on the engine of that success. As one of the niche-focused faculties at UMT, we undoubtedly support UMT’s vision to be “A marine-focused university, reputed nationally and respected globally.” The Faculty of Science and Marine Environment (FSME) is not just aligned with this vision; we are its nucleus. Our faculty’s work forms the bedrock of UMT’s global reputation. This was affirmed by the latest U.S. News & World Report, which ranked UMT as No. 1 in Malaysia, No. 19 in Asia, and No. 96 in the world for Marine and Freshwater Biology. This Top 100 global achievement is a testament to the relentless dedication and perseverance of all faculty members, including students, supporting, and academic staff.   

This excellence is not pursued for its own sake. It is our mandate to provide the critical science for the nation’s most pressing challenges, ranging across various specialised fields not only in fundamental sciences and marine sciences but recently expanding our repertoire of focus areas, ranging from climate change to economic prosperity, yet still lingering not far from our niche and focus areas. FSME is the primary scientific driver of Malaysia’s Blue Economy agenda, developing sustainable solutions in aquaculture, marine renewable energy, and blue carbon strategies. Indeed, we have set our minds and souls towards this matter.

The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education’s (MOHE) mission and vision on AI align with the national goal of positioning Malaysia as an “AI Nation” by 2030. The specific vision for MOHE is to leverage AI for talent and knowledge empowerment, ultimately strengthening the higher education ecosystem for societal well-being and national development. The future of science is digital, and FSME is leading this transformation. As UMT pioneers the implementation of a compulsory artificial intelligence (AI) module for all students, our faculty is already applying AI algorithms to enhance our understanding of the ocean. Through our various state-of-the-art facilities and support systems, we are moving beyond mere observation to data-driven prediction.   

Our greatest strength is our inherent transdisciplinary nature. Where others see “silos,” FSME embodies a systems-based solution. We solve complex environmental problems precisely because our expertise seamlessly integrates all eight of our study programmes here at the faculty, i.e., Marine Biology, Marine Geoscience, Marine Science, Chemical Sciences, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Biodiversity Conservation and Management as well as Nanophysics.

This is research made tangible. From our Antarctic climate research to our vital coral conservation partnership with Aquaria KLCC, to name a few, partnerships that are actively restoring our precious aquatic and terrestrial life, FSME is on the front lines. In the spirit of Malaysia Madani, we are an intellectual, service-oriented, and environmentally conscious community. I thank our entire FSME team for their unwavering commitment.