Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Universiti Sains Malaysia, or USM for short, is the second-oldest university in Malaysia and a public research university. One of the country's leading universities, USM was established in June 1969 as a statutory body with its own constitution. The university is the only APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) university in Malaysia and holds a special status granted by the Ministry of Higher Education. Universiti Sains Malaysia has three campuses: a main campus on the island of Penang, a health campus in Kelantan, and an engineering campus in Nibong Tebal.

With nearly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students, USM is one of the largest universities in Malaysia by enrollment. A university that advocates for sustainability issues, USM has 26 units and offers undergraduate and postgraduate education as well as research-based studies to both local and international students.

The university provides housing for approximately 75% of its students. These dormitories, also known as student hostels (Desasiswa in Malay), are located within the campus. Cafeterias where students can both socialize and eat are found throughout the university grounds.