British universities lose ground on rivals in Far East

The 100 Under 50 ranking is intended to provide a “fresh perspective” by

examining institutions which were formed relatively recently compared with

universities such as Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and

Cambridge, which lead THE’s traditional tables.

The top five places are dominated by universities in the Far East, led by the

Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, which retains

first place.

Its national rival, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,

has moved up from fifth to third place, while the Swiss École Polytechnique

Fédérale of Lausanne is second.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is in fourth place,

followed by the University of California Irvine in the US.

Phil Baty, the table’s editor, said that having 18 universities in the list

showed the “strength and depth” of Britain’s higher education system.

But governments in the Far East are “throwing money” at universities and

British institutions face being left behind, he added.

“In the race to attract the world’s top talent and to develop new knowledge,

universities have to run fast just to stand still, and at this crucial

moment, while others are sprinting ahead, there is a risk that the UK is

getting bogged down by austerity cuts and immigration rows,” he said.

“South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore are putting massive resources behind

their universities and Britain at the moment is hitting them very hard with

austerity.

“We need money to compete. Our competitors are throwing money at universities

and we are at risk of throwing away this world leading advantage.”

He continued: “We are starting to clamp down on visa provisions for students

and academics — I think that sends a strong message to the rest of the world

that we are not open for business.”

Simon Renton, president of the University and College Union said: “Only

with increased investment does the UK have a fighting chance of competing on

this increasingly dynamic world stage where developing countries have proved

they can set up world class players in just 20 years.

“The days where we could take our historical dominance for granted are

over.

“These countries are investing heavily in higher education and if we

don’t do the same, UK higher education PLC will be usurped.”

Labour said the figures showed a “downward trend” for higher education in the

UK.

Shabana Mahmood, the shadow universities and science minister, said: “Policies

that send signals around the world that we are closed for business at the

same time as cutting deeply into higher education budgets, is the fastest

way to ensure that UK universities lose their ability to compete on the

world stage.”

David Willetts, the universities and science minister, said: “We have more

institutions in the top 100 under 50 table than any other country. This is a

great testament to the sector’s staff and students.

“Our reforms will strengthen the university sector further. They include a

more sustainable funding regime, more incentives for world-class teaching

and a clearer path for new high-quality providers.”

British universities lose ground on rivals in Far East