The performance of Eastern European and Central Asian universities in the 2011 edition of the QS World University Rankings® is a fascinating mixture of stability and change. While the big hitters are all present, many have slid down the table. However this is offset somewhat by the ascent of a number of younger institutions, some
The OECD – or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to give it its full name – has this week released its annual report on the state of education across the world, focusing on its 34 member nations. Education at a Glance 2011 contains a massive range of statistics, which show things like to
by Danny Byrne The 12 months that have passed since the publication of the 2010 QS World University Rankings® have at times been turbulent for UK universities, yet this year’s results go some distance toward allaying sensationalist claims about their imminent demise. University of Cambridge retains the number one position it prised from Harvard last
By Danny Byrne This year’s rankings reflect proactive schemes to improve standards at many Asian universities. Ambitious schemes implemented by governments throughout Asia have led to dramatic developments in international recognition and research standards, and this improvement is again reflected in the 2011 QS World University Rankings®. Of the leading 25 Asian universities, 21 improve
by Martin Ince They may be at an early stage in their development, but investment schemes of Middle Eastern nations are beginning to pay dividends. Across the Middle East, nations large and small are developing plans for higher education. Some have immeasurable sums of oil wealth to spend on this ambition, but even those that
by Tim Rogers We live in very interesting times. For decades, the topic of higher education, university admissions, tuition fees and graduate employment featured, if at all, buried deep in the pages of our national newspapers. In recent months, however, since the release of the Browne Report and the UK Government’s White Paper on higher
By Martin Ince, convenor of the QS Global Academic Advisory Board Europe’s universities have received a qualified vote of confidence from companies in the EU. The European Commission’s latest survey of business research shows that they regard collaboration with universities as a principal reason to do research in the EU. They also say that the
By Danny Byrne Young institutions are having an ever bigger impact on the QS World University Rankings. One might reasonably expect universities to abide by the laws of the space-time continuum by getting older each year. Yet the average age of the top 100 in the 2011 QS World University Rankings® is seven years younger