UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL:
21.00 IN LONDON, UK (BST or GMT+1) ON WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL 2014
08:00 IN WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (NZST) ON THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014
PUBLICATION OF THE THIRD ANNUAL ‘TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION 100 UNDER 50’ RANKING
- New Zealand claims two places in the hot list of the world’s dynamic young universities -
East Asian institutions continue to lead the 100 Under 50, with universities from South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore
claiming top-five positions
South Korea’s Postech tops the global ranking for the third year in a row, while domestic peer KAIST holds on to third
place
Twenty-nine countries/regions are represented in the table of rising global higher education stars, providing unique
insights into the nations poised to challenge traditional Anglo-American dominance
The UK and Australia jointly have the most representatives on this “horizon-scanning” list, with 14 institutions each
(the UK down from 18 last year, Australia up from 13), while the US has only eight
India joins the 100 Under 50 for the first time
Eight nations are represented in the top 10, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, the UK and the US
Strong performers in the top 100 include Spain (seven representatives), France (six), Germany (six), Canada (five) and
Taiwan (four)
Hong Kong, Sweden, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal have three representatives each
Brazil has one top 100 institution, but there’s no room in the rankings for mainland China or Russia
Saudi Arabia and Iran also make the table
SEE BELOW FOR THE FOLLOWING:
• ANALYSIS AND KEY FACTS
• QUOTES FROM PHIL BATY, EDITOR, TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION RANKINGS
• FULL TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION 100 UNDER 50 RESULTS
• COUNTRY REPRESENTATION IN WORLD TOP 100
•
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.
Unlike the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which examine institutional performance irrespective of history and heritage, the 100 Under
50 is designed to be dynamic and forward-looking, so only universities founded in 1964 or later are listed. This means
several institutions have fallen out of the list this year because of their 1963 foundation date, including the
University of York (seventh last year), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (12th in 2013) and the University of East
Anglia (16th).
The concentration of “plate-glass universities” established in the UK in the early 1960s has led to a steep decline in
the country’s representation on the 100 Under 50 this year. It now has 14 institutions, compared with 18 last year and
20 in 2012. The highest placed is Lancaster University, which climbs from 14th to 10th, followed by the University of
Warwick (up one place to 12th).
In terms of national strength, Australia now matches the UK, with 14 representatives in the table. Its top-ranked
institution is the University of Newcastle, which jumps 12 places to 28th, overtaking in the process the Queensland
University of Technology, which slips from joint 26th to joint 31st. Third spot is taken by the University of Wollongong
(33rd, up from 43rd), followed by Macquarie University (up two places to joint 34th). The University of Western Sydney
enters the table in joint 87th.
Australia’s representatives were founded over a more diverse time frame than their UK counterparts, with institutions
established in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s making the table. The youngest is the University of South Australia
(joint 49th), created through a merger in 1991.
New Zealand has two representatives, both founded in 1964 (and therefore ineligible for next year’s ranking): the
University of Waikato (up to joint 44th from 46th) and Massey University (down nine places to 90th).
While it dominates the traditional university rankings, the US has only eight institutions in the 100 Under 50 – the
same number as last year.
The University of California, Irvine is best placed, although it has slipped from fifth in 2013 to seventh this year. UC
Santa Cruz is static in 11th.
Overall, 29 countries or regions feature in the list, compared with 28 last year.
Asia again makes an impressive showing in the rankings, bolstered by India’s inclusion.
The top Asian nation in terms of numbers is Taiwan, which has four representatives (down from five), led by the National
Sun Yat-Sen University in 40th.
Despite losing an institution (the Chinese University of Hong Kong) as a consequence of age, Hong Kong still has three
top 100 institutions – all of them 30 or under, and all in the top 30. Its best performer, the Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology (1991), retains fourth place. The City University of Hong Kong (1984) moves up one position to
joint 17th, while Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1994) rises four places to 30th.
South Korea may have only two top 100 representatives, but it is a stand-out performer by virtue of their positions:
Postech is first and KAIST third.
Singapore has only a single representative – Nanyang Technological University in fifth – but it is a similarly exciting
prospect.
Bringing up the Asian rear is Japan, with a single player, albeit a top 50 performer: the University of Tsukuba, which
creeps up from joint 49th to joint 44th.
South America has just one representative: Brazil’s State University of Campinas (1966), which falls from 28th to joint
37th.
The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 is part of the portfolio of university ranking systems that has established THE as the world’s most respected and widely referenced provider of comparative university performance data.
Key facts
• There are 29 countries/regions in the list – one more than last year, with the addition of India
• Eight countries are represented in the top 10: South Korea, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands,
the US, France and the UK
• The youngest institution in the list is Austria’s Medical University of Vienna, which was founded in its current
form in 2004
• Of the large developing “BRICS” economies, Russia and mainland China do not have a single university in the 100
Under 50, while India and Brazil have one each
• The US has only eight representatives in the table, compared with 46 in the World Reputation Rankings
• Seven universities in the top 100 were founded in 1964 (three from the UK, two from New Zealand and one from
Australia and Canada), so will fall out of next year’s rankings as a result of age
Comments
Phil Baty, rankings editor, Times Higher Education, says:
New Zealand
“New Zealand has two institutions in the table, which is good news, but both will be 51 next year and therefore excluded
from consideration. So the table should serve as a warning: it is full of younger and higher-placed institutions from
strengthening economies that have focused resources on building world-class universities. New Zealand, take note:
competition is only going to intensify as more nations and institutions join the race.”
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.”
Results tables
THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION 100 UNDER 50 2014: FULL TABLE
Copyright Times Higher Education 2014
If reproducing this table in whole or part, you MUST include a link to http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
2014 rank2013 rank2013-14 World University RankingsFoundedInstitutionCountry/region11601986Pohang University of Science and TechnologySouth Korea22371968École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneSwitzerland33561971Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologySouth Korea44571991Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong58761991Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore66=981976Maastricht UniversityNetherlands75931965University of California, IrvineUS810=1141971Université Paris-SudFrance99961971Université Pierre et Marie CurieFrance10141371964Lancaster UniversityUK11111361965University of California, Santa CruzUS12131411965University of WarwickUK=1319=1911965University of Illinois at ChicagoUS=1325=1641990Pompeu Fabra UniversitySpain1515=1881969University of Texas at DallasUS16-201-2251967Universität UlmGermany=1718201-2251984City University of Hong KongHong Kong=1717=1781970Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7France19=23201-2251966University of CalgaryCanada20=20226-2501966Universität KonstanzGermany21=23226-2501998University of Milan-BicoccaItaly22=29251-2751964University of EssexUK2322226-2501968Autonomous University of BarcelonaSpain=24=26226-2501965Simon Fraser UniversityCanada=2433251-2751977Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesSweden2632251-2751970Université Montpellier 2France2747251-2751966Sharif University of TechnologyIran28=40251-2751965University of NewcastleAustralia2944251-2751966Brunel UniversityUK30=34251-2751994Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong=3139226-2501984Bilkent UniversityTurkey=3126276-3001989Queensland University of TechnologyAustralia3343276-3001975University of WollongongAustralia=34=34276-3001966University of BathUK=3436276-3001964Macquarie UniversityAustralia36=49251-2752004Medical University of ViennaAustria=3738276-3001966University of Southern DenmarkDenmark=3728301-3501966State University of CampinasBrazil39=29301-3501965Umeå UniversitySweden4037301-3501980National Sun Yat-Sen UniversityTaiwan4131276-3001993Koç UniversityTurkey=42=53276-3001992Plymouth UniversityUK=4245351-4001974National Taiwan University of Science and TechnologyTaiwan=44=49301-3501973University of TsukubaJapan=4446301-3501964University of WaikatoNew Zealand4651301-3501975Linköping UniversitySweden4783301-3501988University of Technology, SydneyAustralia48=53301-3501973University of CreteGreece=49=40301-3501975Universität BayreuthGermany=4948301-3501991University of South AustraliaAustralia51=40301-3501969Universität BielefeldGermany5263301-3501966Heriot-Watt UniversityUK53=61301-3501969University of Eastern FinlandFinland54=57301-3501971Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1France55=71301-3501974Aalborg UniversityDenmark56=61351-4001967University of StirlingUK5759351-4001972George Mason UniversityUS5852301-3501968Autonomous University of MadridSpain59=66301-3501974Deakin UniversityAustralia=6075301-3501992University of HertfordshireUK=60=57301-3501973Murdoch UniversityAustralia=60-351-4001965Ruhr-Universität BochumGermany63=71351-4001966University of SurreyUK6456351-4001968University of TromsøNorway6560351-4001966University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyUS66-351-4001991University of Rovira i VirgiliSpain=6769351-4002003Universität Duisburg-EssenGermany=6774351-4001997National University of Ireland, MaynoothRepublic of Ireland69=77351-4001989Charles Darwin UniversityAustralia7064351-4001966Johannes Kepler Universität LinzAustria=7168351-4001967King Abdulaziz UniversitySaudi Arabia=7165351-4001966Loughborough UniversityUK=73=84-1965Florida International UniversityUS=7355351-4001964University of GuelphCanada7576351-4001973University of MinhoPortugal76=77351-4001989University of VigoSpain7780351-4001968Polytechnic University of ValenciaSpain7879-1964University of StrathclydeUK79=66-1973Aveiro UniversityPortugal8097-1965University of KentUK8196-1966Aston UniversityUK=8287-1987Curtin University of TechnologyAustralia=82=71-1966Flinders UniversityAustralia=8486-1971Griffith UniversityAustralia=84--1969Université du Québec à MontréalCanada8682-1968Université Paris DauphineFrance=87--1994Indian Institute of Technology, GuwahatiIndia=8792-1973New University of LisbonPortugal=87--1989University of Western SydneyAustralia9081-1964Massey UniversityNew Zealand9170-1969University of Texas at San AntonioUS=92=84-1989Dublin City UniversityRepublic of Ireland=92--1977Isfahan University of TechnologyIran94--1992Dublin Institute of TechnologyRepublic of Ireland95=99-1971Polytechnic University of CataloniaSpain=96--1974Concordia UniversityCanada=9698-1975National Yang-Ming UniversityTaiwan9893-1965Tampere University of TechnologyFinland99--2001Asia University, TaiwanTaiwan=100=88-1967La Trobe UniversityAustralia=100--1992University of Rome IIIItaly
THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION 100 UNDER 50 2014: STATE OF THE NATIONS – NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH COUNTRY IN THE TOP 100
Copyright Times Higher Education 2014
If reproducing this table in whole or part, you MUST include a link to http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/
Country/regionNumber of institutions in the 100 Under 50 2014Top-ranked institutionRankUK14Lancaster University10Australia14University of Newcastle28US8University of California, Irvine7Spain7Pompeu Fabra University=13France6Université Paris-Sud8Germany6Universität Ulm16Canada5University of Calgary=19Taiwan4National Sun Yat-Sen University40Hong Kong3Hong Kong University of Science and Technology4Sweden3Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences=24Republic of Ireland3National University of Ireland, Maynooth=67Portugal3University of Minho75South Korea2Pohang University of Science and Technology1Italy2University of Milan-Bicocca21Iran2Sharif University of Technology27Turkey2Bilkent University=31Austria2Medical University of Vienna36Denmark2University of Southern Denmark=37New Zealand2University of Waikato=44Finland2University of Eastern Finland53Switzerland1École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne2Singapore1Nanyang Technological University5Netherlands1Maastricht University6Brazil1State University of Campinas=37Japan1University of Tsukuba=44Greece1University of Crete48Norway1University of Tromsø64Saudi Arabia1King Abdulaziz University=71India1Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati=87
For media alerts:
Please follow us on Twitter @THEworldunirank or via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/THEworldunirank
In China, please follow us on Sina Weibo: http://www.weibo.com/timeshighereducation
Notes to editors
Methodology key facts
• Foundation dates: if an institution was purpose-built as a university, in general the foundation date shall be
the year it was founded. If the institution has changed status from another type of body, the foundation date in general
shall be taken to be the year the institution was given degree-awarding powers
• Fifty million citations analysed and compared with the world average from the same field
• World’s largest academic reputation survey (10,500 academics)
• Thirteen indicators across five areas – research, teaching, knowledge transfer and international activity – were
taken into account. They are:
•
Industry income – innovation
1. Research income from industry/academic staff
Teaching – the learning environment
2. Reputation survey – teaching
3. Staff-to-student ratio
4. PhDs awarded/undergraduate degrees awarded
5. PhDs awarded/academic staff
6. Institutional income/academic staff
Citations – research influence
7. Citation impact (normalised average citations per paper)
Research – volume, income and reputation
8. Reputation survey – research
9. Research income/academic staff
10. Scholarly papers/(academic and research staff)
International outlook – staff, students and research
11. International students/total students
12. International academic staff/total academic staff
13. Scholarly papers with one or more international co-authors/total scholarly papers
Terminology and intellectual property
• The full description of the tables is the “Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 2014”
• Data for the ranking were provided by Thomson Reuters from its Global Institutional Profiles project, an ongoing
multistage process to collect and validate factual data about academic institutional performance across a variety of
aspects and multiple disciplines. http://science.thomsonreuters.com/globalprofilesproject/
• Any publication of the “Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 2014” tables (in full or part) must include full attribution to “Times Higher Education with data supplied by Thomson Reuters”
• Please include the following link when publishing the “Times Higher Education 100 Under 50” tables (in full or part): http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/ or www.thewur.com
•
About Times Higher Education magazine
Times Higher Education is the world’s most authoritative source of information about higher education. Designed specifically for professional
people working in higher education and research, the weekly magazine was founded in 1971 and has been online since 1995. Times Higher Education is published by TSL Education Ltd
About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. It combines
industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision-makers in the
financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news
organisation. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs
more than 55,000 people and operates in more than 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com
ENDS