Japan, China and Hong Kong’s universities rise in world reputation rankings

Continent’s rising performance partly due to 'undoubted growth in university systems'

(The University of Tokyo/Facebook)

Japan, China, and Hong Kong are among the Asian countries whose universities are rising in reputation on the world stage, a move which is seeing the balance of power in higher education “slowly shifting from the West to the East.”

According to this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings, the continent’s institutions have taken a total of 18 places in the complete 100 list - an increase of ten on last year.

Japan’s University of Tokyo is the highest-ranking in 12th place, while China breaks into the top 20 for the first time with Tsinghua University placing at 18th. Peking University, meanwhile, takes a respectable 21st place.

Asia’s strong performance - which is based on an invitation-only survey of top academics - follows the continent’s growing presence in the flagship THE World University Rankings in recent years.

Top 10 reputable universities in Asia:
(with accompanying world ranking)

1. University of Tokyo (Japan - 12)
2. Tsinghua University (China - 18)
3. Peking University (China - 21)
4. National University of Singapore - 26
5. Kyoto University (Japan - 27)
6. University of Hong Kong - =45
7. Seoul National University (S. Korea - =45)
8. Osaka University (Japan - 51-60)
9. Tohoku University (Japan - 61-70)
10. Chinese University of Hong Kong - 71-80

While the UK has remained the second most-represented nation in the complete list - behind only the US which has a staggering total of 43 - Britain has, however, “lost ground” this year, said Phil Baty, editor of the rankings.

Mr Baty added: “Even the country’s most prestigious institutions have slipped, with the universities of Cambridge and Oxford each dropping two places. The UK’s diminishing performance occurs as institutions in Asia rapidly rise up the table.”

Paul Blackmore, professor of higher education at the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said 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.”

Mr Baty acknowledged how the rise of Asia has become “something of a cliché” in recent times, but added: “Our evidence - from six massive global surveys over six years, including the views of more than 80,000 scholars - proves the balance of power in higher education and research, is slowly shifting from the West to the East.

“We now have a Chinese university in the world top 20 for the first time, and another right behind it in the top 30.”

Making reference to the top six in the complete 100 and looking at the positives, however, Mr Baty said: “The six - two from the East Coast of the US, two from the West Coast, and two from the UK - have topped the list, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, every year since we started back in 2011.”

Click here to see the complete 100 list