PSUMT5 focuses aggressively on enhancing the quality of researchers and research. The quality of researchers will ensure research excellence, while high-quality research is the lifeblood of scholarship and serves as a key indicator of a university’s recognition. To achieve this strategic objective, UMT channels attention towards high-impact publications and focuses on publications in UMT’s niche areas and increased number of citations for UMT journal articles. Citations are given priority as they reflect the quality of a publication.

The implementation of PSUMT5 bore fruit as UMT achieved outstanding recognition, ranking among the top 100 universities in the world, top 20 in Asia, and number 1 in Malaysia in the field of Marine and Freshwater Biology. This ranking report was released through The Best Global Universities Subject Rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. The report even recognised UMT as the world’s number 1 organizer of Marine and Freshwater Biology conferences and ranked it 16th in the world for Marine and Freshwater Biology international collaboration. UMT was also ranked 102nd in the world in terms of the percentage of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited in the field of Marine and Freshwater Biology. This achievement once again reaffirms UMT’s excellence in the field of marine and aquatic resources, which is in line with the university’s identity and core strengths.