The University of Helsinki placed 91st in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking, down 15 positions from last year. Other Nordic universities which ranked in the top 100 last year also fell in the Times ranking. Conversely, Asian universities continued to rise. For example, Peking University took the 29th position, up from 42nd. The University of Oxford rose to the top position in the international ranking.
The primary factors contributing to the drop in the University of Helsinki’s ranking include lower scores for the reputation survey and the relative drop in terms of funding. The reputation survey is conducted among researchers around the world, and constitutes one of the indicators for the ranking. Results of the reputation survey were published last spring.
Only two Nordic universities, the Karolinska Institutet and the University of Lund maintained their position in the top 100 in terms of the reputation survey. The reputation indicator accounts for 33% of the overall ranking, and due to its subjective nature, its results fluctuate yearly.
“I am particularly delighted that the University of Helsinki improved its standing in a very important component of the ranking, the citation index of its publications. This reflects the high standard of the publications produced by our researchers," states University of Helsinki’s Rector Jukka Kola.
The University of Helsinki has consolidated its position among the 100 best research universities in the world. It rose to 91st position in the QS ranking published earlier in September, and 56th in the Shanghai ranking, which was published in August.
Further information
Rector Jukka Kola, tel. +358 9 191 22211 jukka.kola@helsinki.fi
Specialist Markku Javanainen, 050 435 5622, markku.javanainen@helsinki.fi