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Deakin, QUT climb world rankings
Pair are among eight local institutions that placed in China-based global table.
Two Australian universities have experienced a meteoric rise in this year’ s Academic Ranking of World Universities, while six other local institutions made the top 100.
Deakin University rose from the 300 – 400 band to the 200 – 300 level. Queensland
University of Technology also had a big win, climbing from the 400 – 500 band to the 200 – 300 group.
The ARWU table, published by Chinabased Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, ranks 500 universities based on educational and staff quality, research output – including papers published in the journals Nature and Science – and an institution’ s overall academic performance. ARWU is regarded as one of the most influential and widely observed university measures, alongside
QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It has, though, drawn criticism in the past for focusing on raw research outputs, thus neglecting teaching quality and hindering humanities-focused institutions’ performance.
The University of Melbourne was the top-ranked Australian institution, inching up four places to 40. The University of Queensland rose 22 places, but just missed out on a top 50 spot, landing at 55. Australian National University landed at 77, repeating its finish from 2015. Monash University( 79) and the University of Sydney( 82) climbed into the top 100 from the 101 – 150 band. The University of Western Australia( 96) dropped nine places, but still stayed in the top 100.
The University of New South Wales( 101 – 150) and the University of Adelaide( 101 – 150) were the only Go8 institutions not to make the top 100. No non-Go8 universities were in the top 100.
The University of Wollongong dropped to the 300 – 400 band, and Swinburne University of Technology fell into the 400 – 500 band.
US universities dominated the ARWU top 50. Harvard University came first, again, and Stanford University came second, again. ■
ANU-UC health degree plan
Unis team up to offer vertical qualification linking medical science with pathology.
The two leading tertiary education institutes in the nation’ s capital are teaming up to allow students to combine a Bachelor of Medical Science degree from the Australian National University with a Master of Diagnostic Pathology degree from the University of Canberra.
“ This new vertical double degree gives students a new pathway into health careers by giving them access to outstanding qualifications in two specialist areas,” said ANU vice-chancellor professor Brian Schmidt.“ The Bachelor of Medical Science at ANU gives students a broad grounding in biomedical science.
“ This agreement allows students to build on that by gaining specific skills in an area that will open up new career opportunities.”
This spirit of intracity pedagogical co-operation was echoed by UC VC( education) professor Nick Klomp.
“ We are pleased to expand our collaboration with the ANU to offer more flexibility to students who choose to undertake a vertical double degree in the fields of science and teaching and medical science and diagnostic pathology,” Klomp said.“ This is a further example of the commitment from UC and ANU to strengthen Canberra’ s reputation as a world-leading education city.”
Andrew Barr, the chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory, celebrated this alliance.
“ It’ s great to see both the University of Canberra and the ANU working together on this joint degree,” Barr said.“ Our tertiary education institutions are vital to the ACT’ s economy, with one in every nine Canberrans either working or studying at institutions such as the ANU and UC.
This partnering forms a contrast with the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales’ strained relationship in the wake of the former shelving plans to join forces to create a new arts school. ■
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