Universities in China climb global rankings list

Universities from the Chinese mainland have secured seven of the top 10 positions in the Times Higher Education's Emerging Economies University Rankings 2020 for the third straight year.

Tsinghua University maintained its position at the top in the listing of institutions from emerging economies. Peking University was in second place for the second year running.

Zhejiang University and the University of Science and Technology of China remain in third and fourth place, while Shanghai Jiao Tong University climbed from eighth to sixth. Fudan University was listed in seventh place, while Nanjing University was ninth.

Other institutions in the top 10 include Moscow State University (5th), National Taiwan University (8th), and The University of Cape Town (10th).

Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at Times Higher Education, said: "China's success in our Emerging Economies University Rankings reflects its rapid rise on the world higher education stage. With the Double First Class Initiative driving improvements across participant universities, we expect it to continue to establish itself as a major global player in providing world-class higher education over the coming years."

The Double First-Class Initiative refers to fostering "world-class universities" and "world-class discipline" and was conceived in 2015 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

Thirty universities from the Chinese mainland were in the top 100.

A significant increase in research funding, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also likely had an impact on China's strong showing among the 533 universities from 47 countries and territories that were graded.

Beijing Normal University was among the biggest movers, having broken into the top 100 in 24th place. Central South University climbed 20 places, from 56th to joint 36th. And Beijing Institute of Technology moved up 16 places, from joint 82nd to joint 66th. Hunan University also did well, rising from 91st to joint 79th, and Northwestern Polytechnical University climbed from 92nd to joint 79th.