news campusreview . com . au
Rise to the top
CWUR 2023 rankings : UniMelb , UsYD named Australia ’ s best
By Eleanor Campbell
Melbourne University has again been named Australia ’ s best university in the latest round of higher education rankings .
The Center for World University Rankings ( CWUR ) named Melbourne University the 57th top global university of 2023 , rising six places from last year .
The United Arab Emirates-based firm ranked the University of Sydney 92nd , improving seven places from 2022 .
CWUR grades universities on four weighted criteria : quality of education , alumni employment , quality of faculty and research performance .
All six Australian universities in the top 100 , who belong to The Group of Eight ( GO8 ), improved their positions from last year .
The University of New South Wales advanced three spots to 104th , which was followed by the University of Queensland at 105th .
Victoria ’ s Monash University ranked at 128th place and the University of Western Australia ranked at 150th .
US-based universities dominated the top 2,000 list , which included higher education institutions across 95 countries .
Harvard University was ranked as the world ’ s top university for the 12th consecutive year .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford ranked second and third , respectively .
Despite holding weight in the top 10 , only 49 US institutions improved from last year , with 21 maintaining their spots and 262 falling down the CWUR list .
Similarly , the UK had 93 universities ranked and saw a decline in nearly 60 percent of its institutions .
China had 314 universities appear in the top 2,000 , with all of its ivy league equivalent institutions improving from last year .
The University of Tokyo was named Asia ’ s highest-ranked institution , ranking 13th worldwide . ■
Tech of the future
Researchers pave the way to augmented reality .
By Tim Dodd
A
University of Melbourne research team has made the worlds first curved augmented reality display screens , a breakthrough which is expected to widen the use of AR technology in recreation and the workplace .
The researchers used 3D printing techniques to create AR screens from polymers in any desired shape – which means that , for the first time , AR technology can be used in prescription lenses for glasses or goggles .
University of Melbourne researcher Ranjith Unnithan said the potential applications were vast , including gaming goggles and visors , and in education and healthcare .
“ In education , AR displays could be incorporated into educational tools and simulations , allowing for interactive and engaging learning experiences ,” Associate Professor Unnithan said .
“ In healthcare , AR displays could be used in medical training , assisting surgeons with real-time information during operations , but there are many other potential applications , from transport to tourism .”
Augmented reality is a technology in which a user ’ s view of the real world is overlaid with digital information , improving their perception and making them better able to interact with their environment .
Associate Professor Unnithan and his colleagues Christina Lim and Thas Nirmalathas developed the new technology in collaboration with Taiwanese company KDH Design Corporation and the Melbourne Centre for Nano- fabrication .
KDH chief executive Jeremy Lu , who went to school in Melbourne and graduated from the University of Melbourne , said the new technology was first of its kind .
“ Today , all the AR lenses are made with glass and it ’ s impossible to make them with prescriptions or curvatures ,” he said .
Mr Lu said the 3D-printed AR lenses would be produced in Australia and then shipped to Asia where they would be integrated with the micro LEDs ( or lightemitting diodes ) that provide the light for the devices .
The 3D printing technique allows for very precise production with the potential for efficient mass manufacturing .
Mr Lu said that KDH had strong ties with Australia . “ You can tell from the name of the company , Koala Design House ,” he said , revealing what the company acronym stands for .
“ We have abundant optical research talents in Australia . I think of KDH like a bridge ,” he said . ■
6