NTU Singapore is the world’s top young university
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has been ranked No. 1 in the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the world’s best young universities for the first time. The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings were announced on Wednesday (23 June).
The only Singapore university listed in the rankings, NTU rose from second place last year and third place in 2019, overtaking Hong Kong University of Science and Technology which held the top spot since 2018.
NTU’s strong showing was primarily driven by its strengths in its teaching and learning environment, international outlook, as well as research and industry interactions. Overall, NTU has climbed 15 places since debuting at 16th place when the rankings began in 2012.
In the QS Top 50 Under 50, a separate ranking of young universities which uses different metrics from Times Higher Education, NTU has been ranked No. 1 for the last seven years.
NTU President Professor Subra Suresh said: “The results reflect the success of NTU’s faculty and students in their pursuit of excellence in education, research and innovation.
“NTU continues its significant momentum as a leading university among our international peers by advancing new knowledge, creating innovative pedagogical models to transform educational offerings, and forging deep connections with industry for the benefit of society.”
“The events of the past year have also highlighted the importance of preparing our students for a world rapidly transformed by technological changes and uncertainties and disruptions created by the global pandemic and by geopolitical factors.
“As part of our NTU 2025 strategic plan to transform learning, NTU will broaden and strengthen interdisciplinary learning, and provide new research and internship opportunities for undergraduate students that focus on critical thinking skills, problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration.”
Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer of Times Higher Education, said: “NTU Singapore has been a stand-out star of the world university rankings for several years – as one of the fastest rising institutions in the world, always innovating and developing, strengthening its connections globally and drawing in talent. So, it does not really come as a surprise to see NTU named today as the world’s number one ‘young university’.
“Based on Times Higher Education’s rigorous, comprehensive and demanding 13 performance metrics, which cover all of an institution’s core missions, this is a great acknowledgement of NTU’s dynamism and innovation. In just around 30 years of existence, NTU has cemented its status as one of the world’s strongest research-intensive universities, competing alongside institutions with centuries-old traditions of scholarly excellence and with deeply established reputations. This should be a cause for great celebration.”
NTU’s rising trajectory
The latest recognition from Times Higher Education comes on the heels of NTU achieving 12th place in the QS World University Rankings, climbing one place from last year.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject released in March this year, NTU ranked first internationally in the highly interdisciplinary field of Materials Science. NTU was ranked among the top 10 global universities in eight different fields, and among the top 50 global universities in 25 different fields, making it NTU’s best performance in the QS subject rankings to date.
In Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects last month, NTU kept its leading global position with 10 subjects among the world’s Top 10 for the second year running. Leading the list was NTU’s Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, which kept its No. 1 position for the fifth year running.
In a separate ranking of Asian universities by Times Higher Education this month, NTU rose to 5th place, up one spot from last year.