campusreview.com.au
Top unis
Ten Australian institutions rank in list of
best 50 young universities worldwide.
By Dallas Bastian
A
ustralian universities comprise one-fifth of the best tertiary
institutions founded within the last 50 years, making for the
biggest presence on the list.
Ten of the places in the QS Top 50 Under 50 Ranking 2019,
released by education research company Quacquarelli Symonds,
were occupied by Australian institutions.
Topping the latest list is Singapore’s Nanyang Technological
University, while Australia’s best perf orming entry
is again the University of Technology Sydney, sitting in
10th position.
QS Top 50 Under 50 Rankings 2019: Top 10
Rank Institution
Location
Est. Year
1
Nanyang Technological
Singapore
1991
University (NTU)
2
The Hong Kong University of
Hong Kong 1991
Science and Technology (HKUST)
3
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute South Korea 1971
of Science and Technology
4
PSL University
France
2010
5
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong 1984
6
Pohang University of Science and South Korea 1986
Technology (POSTECH)
7
The Hong Kong Polytechnic
Hong Kong 1994
University
8
CentraleSupélec
France
2015
9
Aalto University
Finland
2010
10 University of Technology
Australia
1988
Sydney (UTS)
@QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004–2018
https://www.topuniversities.com/. All rights reserved.
UTS vice-chancellor Attila Brungs said the university’s steady rise
in the rankings was one indicator of improvement across the board
and its increasing international reputation.
“I believe that part of our continued success has been due
to our focus on innovation, both in research and in teaching,”
Brungs said.
news
“We’ve developed a strong reputation for working closely
with industry to ensure our graduates have the skills and
experience necessary to be successful in the workforce.”
University of Wollongong charted at number 16, while
the Queensland University of Technology broke the top 20,
hitting 19.
Also included in the list were Curtin University, RMIT University,
the University of South Australia, Deakin University, Griffith
University and James Cook University.
Swinburne University of Technology made its debut
in the top 50, moving up from the 51–60 bracket of the
previous year.
QS Top 50 Under 50 Rankings: Australian Top 50 Entrants
Rank 2019
2018
Institution
Est. Year
10 160=
176
University of Technology
1988
Sydney
16 218=
232
University of Wollongong 1975
19 244=
247=
Queensland University of 1989
Technology
20 250= 262
Curtin University
1986
21 250= 247=
RMIT University
1992
25 264= 279=
University of South
1991
Australia
31 309
293=
Deakin University
1974
35 329=
325=
Griffith University
1971
43 369= 367=
James Cook University
1970
45 387=
421–430 Swinburne University of
1992
Technology
@QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004–2018
https://www.topuniversities.com/. All rights reserved.
Ben Sowter, research director at QS, stressed that the Top 50
Under 50 Ranking is no consolation prize. The majority (47) of
the top 50 place among the top 400 of the research company’s
overall table.
“All 50 have featured among the top 400 at some point in their
brief but successful histories,” Sowter said (see table above).
“The excellence of these institutions belies the belief that
rankings will only recognise older Anglosphere universities with
centuries of reputation behind them, and provides a reminder to
those veterans that ambitious upstarts are seeking – with increasing
success – to disrupt established hierarchies.”
Sowter said Australia’s higher education system is perhaps the
epitome of this principle.
“Its institutions are making increasingly fruitful efforts to establish
themselves as globally competitive research universities, with nine
of the 10 ‘Top 50 Under 50’ entrants improving their scores for
research impact this year.”
Seven more Australian entries appear in the Next 100 Under 50.
Just missing out on spots in the top 50 were Bond University and
Western Sydney University, which ranked in the 51–60 and 71–80
slots, respectively.
Australia’s biggest competitors in the ranking are Hong Kong
and Malaysia. Both countries had four universities in the
top 50. Asia’s presence was boosted by three entries from
both South Korea and Taiwan. ■
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