According to the Times Higher Education magazine, UK, which recently, published its 2012-13 World University Rankings, the California Institute of Technology has retained its place at the top of the World University Rankings for 2012-13, with Harvard University pushed into fourth place by the UK’s University of Oxford and Stanford University, which share second place.
As with last year, the US dominates the rankings, taking seven of the top 10 places. This year it has 76 institutions in the top 200 – one more than last year. But the dominance of the US masks worrying falls for many of its institutions, in stark contrast to significant gains by the top Asian universities. Of the US’s 76 top 200 representatives, 51 fell down the table in the face of mounting competition from heavy-spending Asian nations.
As with last year, India had no representatives in the world top 200. However, three Indian institutions now make the 200-400 ‘Best of the rest’ list – all Indian Institutes of Technology --- IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee.
Phil Baty, editor Times Higher Education Rankings, said: “I’d urge all Indian institutions to work with us to help build a clear picture of the rapidly changing landscape in Indian higher education. Understanding the changes, and the progress of India in converting its economic growth into a thriving innovation and skills economy – and understanding the challenges that need to be overcome – will be crucial.”
The rankings show heavy casualties of the cuts to public funding for US state universities. Key research institutions in the University of California system fell, including UC Davis (from 38th to 44th), and other significant casualties included Pennsylvania State University (51st to 61st), the University of Massachusetts (64th to 72nd) and Arizona State University (127th to 148th).
The UK, which has also been hit by public funding cuts to higher education and research, also suffered. The UK lost one of its top 200 representatives (University of Dundee) and now has 31 top 200 institutions. Nineteen of the remaining 31 top 200 institutions also tumbled in 2012-13. Prestigious institutions such as the University of Bristol (66th to 74th) and the University of Glasgow in Scotland (102 to 139th) fell.
There was a widening gap between a super-elite and the rest in the UK. Oxford improved its position by moving from 4th to 2nd, thanks to a major increase in its research income, and Imperial College London (8th) and University College London (17th) held their places. The London School of Economics (47th to 39th) and the University of Edinburgh (36th to 32nd) both improved, with LSE entering the top 40.
Another Western nation to have a bad year in the rankings was Canada, which lost a top 200 representative (Queen’s University) and saw most of its top 200 institutions slip. Canada’s top institution, the University of Toronto, lost its top 20 place with a marginal fall from 19th to 21st.
In stark contrast, universities from across the Asia-Pacific region have done well. China’s two top 200 institutions both rose, with Peking University moving from 49th to 46th and Tsinghua jumping 19 places from 71st to 52nd. Outside the official top 200, evidence from the Times Higher Education “best of the rest” table, which lists institutions from 200-400th place, also shows that other Chinese universities earmarked by the government for rapid development are moving close to the top 200. Fudan University jumped from the 226-250 band to the 201-225 group and Shanghai Jiao Tong University rose from the 301-350 group into the 276-300 band.
Thanks to strong income figures, Singapore’s two top 200 institutions saw spectacular success. The National University of Singapore moved from 40th to 29th and Nanyang Technological University rocketed up the table from 169th to 86th.
Every one of South Korea’s institutions rose up the tables, with the most spectacular improvement by Seoul National University, which rose from 124 to 59th. The country also gained a new representative in the top 200 – Yonsei University, entering at 183rd.
Taiwan’s flagship, National Taiwan University, moved from 154th to 134th.
As with last year, the US dominates the rankings, taking seven of the top 10 places. This year it has 76 institutions in the top 200 – one more than last year. But the dominance of the US masks worrying falls for many of its institutions, in stark contrast to significant gains by the top Asian universities. Of the US’s 76 top 200 representatives, 51 fell down the table in the face of mounting competition from heavy-spending Asian nations.
As with last year, India had no representatives in the world top 200. However, three Indian institutions now make the 200-400 ‘Best of the rest’ list – all Indian Institutes of Technology --- IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee.
Phil Baty, editor Times Higher Education Rankings, said: “I’d urge all Indian institutions to work with us to help build a clear picture of the rapidly changing landscape in Indian higher education. Understanding the changes, and the progress of India in converting its economic growth into a thriving innovation and skills economy – and understanding the challenges that need to be overcome – will be crucial.”
The rankings show heavy casualties of the cuts to public funding for US state universities. Key research institutions in the University of California system fell, including UC Davis (from 38th to 44th), and other significant casualties included Pennsylvania State University (51st to 61st), the University of Massachusetts (64th to 72nd) and Arizona State University (127th to 148th).
The UK, which has also been hit by public funding cuts to higher education and research, also suffered. The UK lost one of its top 200 representatives (University of Dundee) and now has 31 top 200 institutions. Nineteen of the remaining 31 top 200 institutions also tumbled in 2012-13. Prestigious institutions such as the University of Bristol (66th to 74th) and the University of Glasgow in Scotland (102 to 139th) fell.
There was a widening gap between a super-elite and the rest in the UK. Oxford improved its position by moving from 4th to 2nd, thanks to a major increase in its research income, and Imperial College London (8th) and University College London (17th) held their places. The London School of Economics (47th to 39th) and the University of Edinburgh (36th to 32nd) both improved, with LSE entering the top 40.
Another Western nation to have a bad year in the rankings was Canada, which lost a top 200 representative (Queen’s University) and saw most of its top 200 institutions slip. Canada’s top institution, the University of Toronto, lost its top 20 place with a marginal fall from 19th to 21st.
In stark contrast, universities from across the Asia-Pacific region have done well. China’s two top 200 institutions both rose, with Peking University moving from 49th to 46th and Tsinghua jumping 19 places from 71st to 52nd. Outside the official top 200, evidence from the Times Higher Education “best of the rest” table, which lists institutions from 200-400th place, also shows that other Chinese universities earmarked by the government for rapid development are moving close to the top 200. Fudan University jumped from the 226-250 band to the 201-225 group and Shanghai Jiao Tong University rose from the 301-350 group into the 276-300 band.
Thanks to strong income figures, Singapore’s two top 200 institutions saw spectacular success. The National University of Singapore moved from 40th to 29th and Nanyang Technological University rocketed up the table from 169th to 86th.
Every one of South Korea’s institutions rose up the tables, with the most spectacular improvement by Seoul National University, which rose from 124 to 59th. The country also gained a new representative in the top 200 – Yonsei University, entering at 183rd.
Taiwan’s flagship, National Taiwan University, moved from 154th to 134th.
