May 1, 2014
UOW surges in world’s top 100 younger universities
UOW has surged 10 spots to be ranked number 33 in the annual Times Higher Education (THE) 100 Under 50 ranking of the world’s best young universities.
The THE 100 Under 50 complements the annual THE World University Rankings, which will be released in October, and the THE World Reputation Rankings, which are published in March. The THE 100 Under 50 lists the world’s best 100 universities under the age of 50. UOW became an independent university in 1975.
UOW was ranked 43rd in the same rankings in 2013.
“It’s a solid improvement to jump 10 spots against the world’s best younger universities,” UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings said.
He said the announcement just made in London was a ringing endorsement of UOW as a research intensive university with a strong commitment to its students and community.
The Vice-Chancellor said the latest achievement is reflected in UOW’s position with it being in the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide.
Professor Wellings said that in less than 40 years the University of Wollongong has become a benchmark for Australia’s new generation of universities.
He said that UOW routinely rates among the top Australian universities in key areas including teaching quality, graduate satisfaction and graduate starting salaries.
“Many of our researchers are leaders in their fields, nationally and internationally, while our research institutes have important global collaborative partnerships.”
Editor of Times Higher Education Rankings, Phil Baty, said many of the exciting young universities on its forward-looking list do not see their youth as a disadvantage in the global knowledge economy.
“While they may not have had centuries to accumulate wealth and cannot draw on generations of alumni and rich traditions of scholarship to drive their reputations, they are free from the burdens of history - free to be more agile, lean, flexible and risk-taking, giving them an advantage in a rapidly changing global marketplace. They are free to offer innovative teaching and focus their research on niche, high-impact areas.”
Media contact: Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor John Patterson, +61 2 4221 3940.