In contrast, Europe presents a more mixed picture. In Germany, while four of its six institutions have dropped down the list this year, it is the first time there are six German institutions within the top 90. This marks a generally positive trend since four German universities appeared in the first THE World Reputation Rankings in 2011.
Along with the UK losing two institutions out of this year’s ranking, the Netherlands has dropped back, with four of its five representatives losing places in the ranking. Denmark and Finland no longer make the top 100 at all. They each had one institution in last year’s ranking. Yet Sweden has two universities in the top 100 for the first time since 2013, up from a single representative last year. France has had a strong performance with five French universities making the top 100 this year and INSEAD making its first appearance.
Europe’s mixed success this year is largely a consequence of the strong progress made by Asian institutions. In many cases, European universities achieved similar or higher scores than last year but did not improve as rapidly as institutions in Asia. Last year, 10 Asian universities made the Top 100, compared with 17 this year.
Australia has been squeezed this year with three universities making it into the ranking, compared with five last year. The University of Melbourne is in joint 49th position this year, down from joint 41st last year. Australian National University and the University of Sydney have similarly slipped from the 51-60 band into the 61-70 band. The University of Queensland and Monash University have both dropped out of the ranking altogether.
Canada has fared better, maintaining its tally of three universities in the ranking this year. The University of Toronto, Canada’s most prestigious university according to the World Reputation Rankings, has dropped from 16th place last year to 23rd this year. The University of British Columbia retained its position in 37th place, while McGill University dropped from joint 35th place last year to 39th this year.
With five universities ranked this year, China easily leads the BRICS nations in the World Reputation Rankings. Russia has three institutions in this year’s ranking, up from two last year. However, the top two, Lomonosov Moscow State University (=30th place) and Saint Petersburg State University (81-90 band) have both dropped since last year. Brazil’s single entry has also dropped this year, with the University of São Paulo dropping from the 51-60th band to the 91-100th. Meanwhile, neither India nor South Africa has any universities represented for their reputation at all.
Paul Blackmore, professor of higher education at the Policy Institute at King’s College London, says Asia’s rising performance is due to a combination of “undoubted growth in university systems” and “of more being known among those giving a view”.
“We’ve had a highly Anglo-Saxon view of higher education for many years and that can’t be sustained for much longer,” he adds.
