Asian-Pacific universities gain ground in THE rankings 2013

The UK and the US remain the best represented countries in the prestigious Times Higher Education rankings for 2012-2013, with a significant number of top 200 institutions. However, the UK has suffered substantial losses in stark contrast to gains for most of Asia’s leading institutions.

The Times Higher Education 2012-13 rankings, the world’s most comprehensive and balanced global rankings, show The California Institute of Technology retaining the top spot whilst Oxford University rises two positions to take joint second place with the elite US private institution Stanford University.

Other UK institutions are represented in the top200: University of Edinburgh, King’s College London and University of Bristol ranked in the top100, whilst University of Sheffield, the University of Leeds, the University of York and the University of Birmingham also made it to the top 200 among other UK institutions.

By contrast, major gains across Asia-Pacific countries are highlighted in this year’s rankings with China’s institutions on the rise: Peking University moving from joint 49th to 46th and Tsinghua University jumping 19 places from 71st to 52nd.

Singapore’s two top 100 institutions, The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have rocketed from the top200 to 29^th and 86^th place in only a year. Strong investment is given as one of the reasons for such improvement.  Republic of Korea has also had a similar outcome in this year’s rankings.

The Netherlands is the next best-represented nation in the top 200, with Leiden University, Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam making it to the top100. Maastricht University gained significant ground, jumping from 197^th in the 2011 rankings to 115^th place, and the University of Twente joined the top 200 in the 2012 rankings.

Australian institutions have significantly improved their performance with eight institutions in the table. University of Melbourne, Australian National University, University of Sydney, University of Queensland, University of New South Wales and Monash University managed to make it to the top 100.

Talking about the performance of UK universities in the 2012 rankings, David Willetts, the UK’s universities and science minister, writes: “The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2012-13 show that it is not only in Olympic sports that the UK excels…Our university sector has maintained its world-class status…but we cannot be complacent. In particular, the rankings show the rapid advances being made in East Asia and the Pacific region…In future, any country that stands still – or moves forward only slowly – will find itself slipping down the international league as other countries try harder, invest more and improve their research.”

Top 50 table

Source: Times Higher Education 2012- 2013 rankings

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Image: California Institute of Technology