KUALA LUMPUR (July 4): The University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM) has launched a new campus at Eco Botanic in Iskandar Puteri, Johor to accommodate an additional 2,000 students.

The 150,000 sq ft campus provides new facilities including four electrical and electronics laboratories, an aerospace laboratory equipped with a wind tunnel, a design studio, a business experimental laboratory, a 12-terminal Bloomberg suite and a 10,000 sq ft library with an attached computer suite, said UoSM.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim, Eco World Development Group Bhd president and CEO Datuk Chang Khim Wah and a representative from the British High Commission in Malaysia graced the launch on June 30, coinciding with the university's 10th anniversary in the country.

UoSM CEO Professor Rebecca Taylor said Malaysia is a key market for the university.

"Living costs, geographical location, outstanding students and the government's commitment to establishing Malaysia as an international hub for higher education are all important factors in Southampton's long-term commitment to this region. Over the course of the last decade, we are proud to have nurtured forward-thinking leaders who are now working to create," she said.

University of Southampton general counsel and university secretary Barbara Halliday said UoSM remains a pivotal part of the university's international strategy in providing educational excellence to students around the world.

Halliday, who is also a director of UoSM, said the university started off with only four engineering programmes before expanding to 20 programmes supported by world-class facilities and offering students hands-on learning experiences to prepare them for the future workforce.

The University of Southampton currently has six campuses in the UK and one in Malaysia. The university was invited by the government to establish a branch campus for engineering within the EduCity development in Iskandar with the local campus opening in October 2012.

UoSM said it now offers a selection of research-led programmes in engineering, computer science, business management, business analytics, business entrepreneurship, economics, finance, accounting & finance, marketing and actuarial science at the foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

"The programmes offered by UoSM are taught and examined to the same standards as those delivered at the University of Southampton UK. The university also recognises the importance of rewarding academic excellence and achievements through its scholarship scheme in the form of up to 100% tuition fee waiver for its foundation and undergraduate students," it said in a statement.

UoSM said it is ranked 78th under the QS World University Rankings 2023. The university's Master of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme is ranked number one in the UK based on the Guardian University Guide 2022, while its Master of Engineering in Aeronautics and Astronautics programme is ranked number four in the UK based on the Complete University Guide 2023.

Besides its engineering programmes, the university's marketing programme is ranked number seven while its computer science programme is among the top 20, added UoSM, citing the Complete University Guide 2022.