Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) is included in the list of the best universities in Asia. This campus is the only private university in Indonesia that is included in the ranks of the 200 best universities in Asia.

The statement was issued by a university rating agency called 4ICU.

The institution is one of the higher education rating agencies in the world that can be seen at the global, regional and country levels.

The Chancellor of UMS, Sofyan Anif, said that UMS was in the 157th position in the ranks of the 200 best universities in Asia. For the scale of Indonesian universities, UMS is ranked 12th, below the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

The first place was occupied by Gadjah Mada University (UGM). On the Asian scale, UGM is ranked 35.

“Eleven universities that are above UMS are state universities. So for private universities throughout Indonesia, UMS is ranked first,” he told reporters at the Siti Walidah UMS Main Building, Monday (2/12/2019).

Sofyan Anif said, there are several criteria that the 4ICU uses as the basis for its assessment of universities.

First, universities that receive a license or accreditation from an assessment organization in their country.

Second, universities that offer educational programs ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate, namely master’s and doctoral degrees.

Third, providing training and teaching that uses the traditional education system and involves direct (face-to-face) interaction, not remotely.

“In principle, 4ICU is not based on the academic quality of higher education. But more to non-academic,” he explained.

The achievement of UMS as the only private university in Indonesia which is included in the category of the 200 best universities in Asia is a matter of pride.

“We will use this achievement as an encouragement to continue to make UMS a quality university, both in terms of academic and non-academic,” said Sofyan Anif.