Having been involved with UH-Mānoa for over 50 years in various capacities (student, enthusiastic booster, business partner, guest speaker, emcee, committee member, casual hire) I get a slight adrenaline rush when I see our state university- the mothership- get acknowledged for excellence by outside parties.
QS says it’s the “#1 global market leader for student insights and guidance”, and it recently recognized UH-Mānoa in the top 2.2% of world universities. QS evaluated over 8,000 institutions worldwide and published rankings for 1,501, including nearly 200 U.S. universities, weighting criteria such as Research and Discovery, Employability and Outcomes, Global Engagement, Academic Reputation, and Learning Experience.
UH has a worldly student body and great educational diversity via 93 bachelor’s degrees, 84 master’s degrees, and 54 doctoral degrees (as of 2024). Top areas of study at UH-Mānoa include oceanography, atmospheric sciences, hospitality and tourism management, earth science, geography, and ecology. UH brings in more than half a billion dollars annually in research funds… we’ll see what the future portends as aspects of institutional academic support are under siege in Washington, D.C. these days and cuts have already occurred.
27 years ago, UH made headlines with its cloned mouse, Cumulina, who now resides taxidermied in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Factoid- Cumulina lived for 31 months, the equivalent of 95 human years).
Athletics often get the headlines, but the academic standing of an institution is what ultimately makes or breaks it. UH continues to be a high achiever in many areas amid acknowledged flaws and deserves kudos for living its academic mission. Beyond the annual local legislative slugfest and funding concerns, UH-Mānoa has proven itself to be well-respected and adept at performing to a high standard- recognized on national and international scales.
Interestingly and sadly, QS notes that while U.S. institutions still hold a large advantage over other country’s colleges, that advantage has been dwindling for several years; many U.S. schools have dipped as international competition gets stronger. You might say, “so what?”, but a brain drain for our country is not a positive sign as the world becomes more complicated and dependent on smart people in generative A.I., astronomy, engineering, robotics, healthcare, finance, education, and communication. Strength in these disciplines will go a long way toward determining which nations gain/retain self-determination, power, and control throughout the 21st century. So go ‘Bows! Here’s to UH being a leader.
Think about it…