NTU Singapore is ranked the world’s No.1 young university for seventh straight year by QS
New Delhi: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has again been named the world’s best young university by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). This is the seventh consecutive year that NTU has topped the QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking, a league table of the world’s academic institutions established within the last 50 years.
In a separate ranking of young universities by Times Higher Education also announced today, NTU climbed one position to No.2 globally. In the inaugural Nature Index Young University rankings last year, NTU was placed second globally.
Although QS, Times Higher Education and Nature Index use different methodologies to rank the world’s best young universities, all the three rankings individually and collectively show NTU’s strong leadership position among ambitious, young and rapidly rising global institutions.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic has reinforced to the entire world the important role and significant value of universities for societies, governments and organisations as they respond to new threats and challenges. NTU Singapore is proud that our dynamic campus community has played its part, in collaboration with many others, in supporting the global, regional and national responses to the pandemic. Whether we are dealing with a global pandemic, climate change, societal disruptions arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or any other major challenge faced by the world today, we see that young Asian universities, such as NTU Singapore, are punching above their weight in creating new knowledge and technologies and in benefiting society,” said NTU President Prof Subra Suresh.
Earlier this month, NTU maintained its position in the upper echelons of great global universities, with a 13th place in the QS World University Ranking. The QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking is based on data from their earlier world ranking. The University also achieved its highest position in citations per faculty, an indicator of the rapid growth in its research impact, rising 11 places to No. 25 in the QS world ranking.
Ben Sowter, QS Research Director, lauded NTU for its “amazing ascending trajectory in our global rankings” that has “resulted in seven years of absolute leadership as the world’s top young university.”
Phil Baty, Times Higher Education’s Chief Knowledge Officer, said, “NTU’s rapid development has been so extraordinary that it is already clearly established as one of the world’s leading universities, and the term ‘rising star’ no longer applies. But this focussed ranking, looking only at institutions under 50 years of age, really highlights the exceptional progress NTU has made on the world stage in a matter of a few decades, while competitors have had centuries to accumulate prestige and build a powerful research base. I see NTU as one of the world’s great positive disruptors of global higher education – making its mark, demonstrating powerful impact, and showing real innovation, and all achieved less than 30 years since its creation. It suggests an extraordinary exciting future.”
These latest accolades are a testament to the hard work and achievements of NTU faculty, staff and students in their pursuit of excellence in education, research and innovation. Besides increasing its global impact through research, the University has also been investing in world-class infrastructure in its NTU Smart Campus and attracting some of the world’s finest faculty, including young and mid-career researchers, and students. These efforts have borne fruit, as NTU today is globally recognised as a leading institution in new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced manufacturing, which are shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Asia on the rise
A trailblazer in science and technology, NTU Singapore leads a group of seven young Asian – and mostly technological – universities that dominate the top positions of the QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking, demonstrating Asia’s growing prominence in the global higher education and research landscape.
These universities are successfully producing high quality research and making a global impact in their respective fields. Unlike older universities, these young institutions are also characterised by their strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and partnerships with industry.
The QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking applies the same methodology used in the QS World University Ranking, based on six indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty member, faculty/student ratio, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio.
The Times Higher Education’s Young University Ranking compares universities below 50 years of age, based on research, teaching, citations, international outlook and industry income.