Times Higher Education, the UK’s leading publication on the subject, recently published its fourth edition of the 100 under 50. The list looks at the top 100 universities established less than 50 years ago. It assesses institutions in five core areas – teaching, research, citations, international outlook and income from industry.

The first place on the list is taken by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), from Switzerland. The university scored highly for its international outlook, research impact and income from industry. The EPFL is followed by the Pohang University of Science and Technology (South Korea), the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).

Australia has the maximum number of entries in the list (16). It is followed by the UK (15), Germany and US (7), Spain (6), France (5), Canada (4), and so on. Australia overtook the UK to achieve the top position. Last year both countries had tied at the top position with 14 entries each.

The list as a whole reflects a shift towards the east i.e. the Asia Pacific region. This east has outdone the west, posting better scores across four of the five assessment areas. The only exception being research impact. The top scoring university here was the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

Younger universities, the publication believes, have the virtue of keeping an ear to the ground in terms of industry trends and societal developments. Unfettered by archaic traditions and frigid structures, these universities are keen to grow, learn, collaborate and take informed risks. The management tends to have an entrepreneurial zeal reflected, for instance, in the University of Warwick, which leads the UK’s entries, at number 9. In recent times, Warwick has formed a strategic alliance with Monash University (Australia); set up an office in London’s Shard, which is Europe’s tallest building; and now intends to set up a campus in California.

What makes these universities truly exceptional is their willingness to be connected to the larger community and to respond to it. This makes them key stakeholders in helping the world realise its potential for a better tomorrow.

Reference:
Times Higher Education, One Hundred Under Fifty, 2015