Times Higher Education magazine today publishes the Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 2014 – a bespoke evaluation of the world’s top 100 universities under 50 years of age, powered by data from Thomson Reuters.
The ranking looks to the future by examining a new breed of global universities – those that have managed to join the world elite in a matter of decades rather than centuries, and those with the potential to become the next generation’s Harvard or Oxford.
The list also shows us which nations could challenge the US and the UK as future higher education powerhouses.
The THE 100 Under 50 2014 uses the same comprehensive list of 13 performance indicators that underpin the prestigious THE World University Rankings, but employs a specially recalibrated methodology (developed in consultation with experts) to better capture the characteristics of young institutions.
For the third year in a row, the ranking is headed by South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech), while its national rival, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), holds on to the third spot it gained last year. Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne retains second position. East Asia’s dominance at the top of the table increases this year. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology stays in fourth, while Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University moves up to fifth from eighth.
The US’ top-ranked institution, the University of California, Irvine, falls to seventh. The top 10 includes representatives from eight countries. The Netherlands’ Maastricht University holds on to sixth; France’s Université Paris-Sud advances to eighth spot (up from 10th), while Université Pierre et Marie Curie stays in ninth; and the final top 10 position is taken by the UK’s Lancaster University.
THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION 100 UNDER 50 2014, data visualization by Scienceonthenet.eu
(source: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/)
TOP RANKED INSTITUTIONS
| UK | Spain | France | Germany | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster University | Pompeu Fabra University | Université Paris-Sud | Universität Ulm | Milano - Bicocca |
| University of Warwick | Autonomous University of Barcelona | Université Pierre et Marie Curie | Universität Konstanz | Roma III |
| University of Essex | Autonomous University of Madrid | Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7 | Universität Bayreuth | |
| Brunel University | University of Rovira i Virgili | Université Montpellier 2 | Universität Bielefeld | |
| University of Bath | University of Vigo | Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 | Ruhr-Universität Bochum | |
| Plymouth University | Polytechnic University of Valencia | Université Paris Dauphine | Universität Duisburg-Essen | |
| Heriot-Watt University | Polytechnic University of Catalonia | |||
| University of Hertfordshire | ||||
| University of Surrey | ||||
| Loughborough University | ||||
| University of Strathclyde | ||||
| University of Kent | ||||
| Aston University |
The country’s top two representatives have swapped places (a common theme since the rankings began): this year’s number one is Pompeu Fabra University (up 12 places to joint 13th), which displaces Autonomous University of Barcelona (down one place to 23rd). University of Rovira i Virgili, founded in 1991, is Spain’s new representative, entering the table in 66th place.
Spain’s Iberian neighbour Portugal has three representatives, all founded in 1973. Last year’s number one, Aveiro University, slips from joint 66th to 79th and is overtaken by the University of Minho, up one position to 75th. The New University of Lisbon rises five places to joint 87th.
France is another strong performer, but its six top 100 institutions (compared with seven last year) put it behind Spain in terms of numbers, if not performance. There are two French institutions in the top 10, with Paris-Sud (eighth) overtaking Pierre et Marie Curie, which stays in ninth. They are followed by Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7 (joint 17th), Université Montpellier 2 (26th), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (54th) and Université Paris Dauphine (86th). France has benefited in this analysis from structural reforms in the 1970s, when older, established institutions restructured to become new bodies, making them eligible for inclusion in the 100 Under 50.
Germany also has six representatives, up from four last year. A new player, Universität Ulm, jumps straight in to take 16th place and the national top spot, followed by Universität Konstanz (static in 20th). Universität Bayreuth slips from joint 40th to joint 49th, while Universität Bielefeld falls 11 places to 51st. Another entrant, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, takes 60th position.
The final German player is also the second youngest representative in the rankings – Universität Duisburg-Essen, created by the merger of two institutions in 2003. It moves up two places to joint 67th. The youngest, as was the case last year, is Austria’s Medical University of Vienna (up 13 places to 36th). Although the institution can trace its origins back more than 600 years, it gained autonomous university status as recently as 2004.
The Republic of Ireland bolsters its standing in the table with a new representative, taking its total to three. The National University of Ireland, Maynooth rises from 74th place to joint 67th, while Dublin City University slips from joint 84th to joint 92nd. Ireland’s entrant, the Dublin Institute of Technology, founded in 1992, is 94th.
Italy doubles its tally with two particularly youthful representatives this year. University of Milan-Bicocca (founded in 1998) rises two places to 21st, joined on the list by University of Rome III (1992) in joint 100th.
Greece’s sole representative, the University of Crete, creeps back into the top 50 (48th, up from joint 53rd).
Comments
Phil Baty, rankings editor, Times Higher Education, says:
Italy
“Despite being home to some of the best-known (and oldest) universities in the world, it is a concern that Italy performs poorly in the overall World University Rankings. In this light, the University of Milan-Bicocca’s steady progress up the list of future global stars, and the appearance of University of Rome III in joint 100th place, offer hope for the future. Most promisingly they are both under the age of 25, so are babies in terms of university growth and development.
General
“The academy’s traditional, ancient elite should be warned – many of the exciting young universities on this forward-looking list do not see their youth as a disadvantage in the global knowledge economy. While they may not have had centuries to accumulate wealth and cannot draw on generations of alumni and rich traditions of scholarship to drive their reputations, they are free from the burdens of history: free to be more agile, lean, flexible and risk-taking, giving them an advantage in a rapidly changing global marketplace; free to offer innovative teaching and focus their research on niche, high-impact areas.
“The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 shows clearly that exciting new powers are emerging in the global academy and the old guard cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
“The data also prove that nations can in a matter of years, with the right support and vision, create world-class universities to compete with traditional institutions that have had many centuries to develop. The ancient seats of learning are vulnerable to new competitors as never before: the race for future dominance in higher education and research is wide open.”
TimesHigherEducation
