The United States continue to dominate the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2016 list with 43 universities on the top 100 list. Harvard University has topped the list for the sixth year in a row as it was adjudged the best university in the world.
Only 10 UK universities made to the top 100, one university less from the last ranking. Cambridge and Oxford University descend two places from last year raking, taking the fourth and fifth spot, respectively.
18 Asian universities were included in the list, including Seoul National University and the University of Hong Kong, which shared the 45 spot on the list. Japan and Tokyo led the region with five universities each.
The list is a representative poll of more than 10,000 leading scholars from across the world, according to what Phil Batty, editor of the ranking, told to IBTimes. He also said that UK institutions were not being referenced as earlier by global academic peers.
UK universities that made it to the top 100:
University of Cambridge, 4
University of Oxford, 5
Imperial College London, 15
University College London, 20
London School of Economics and Political Science, 24
University of Edinburgh, 38
King’s College London, 43
University of Manchester, 49
London Business School, 81-90
University of Warwick, 81-90
The reasons why UK universities slipped in the university ranking
According to experts, some of Britain’s top-notch universities dropping down university ranking may be the consequence of diversity and recruiting from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I would speculate that this could be linked to funding constraints in Britain which will hamper universities in their drive to improve, but also to an immigration and Visa resume which is seen to be unfriendly – it has sent the message to the world that UK universities are less open to international talent and less welcoming of leading researchers and top students from overseas. Great universities are all about talent and the top global universities need to recruit from a highly competitive global talent to pool,” Phil Batty explained.
Prime Minister, David Cameron, is alarmed by the evident racial bias in British universities as well as the justice system. He noted that University’s 2014 intake that comprised of more than 2,500 people, included only 27 black students, according to reports on NDTV.
Cameron recently ordered a review of racial discrimination. He is putting a lot of pressure on top universities for racial bias, forcing them to take on minority students in a bid to broaden their student mix.
Source: International Business Times