The latest iteration of the Asia University Rankings has arrived, and Chinese universities once again continue to dominate the top spots, with mainland institutions accounting for five of the top 10 institutions and 20 of the top 50, unchanged from last year.
While China may have maintained its grip, the rankings as a whole point to a more competitive regional landscape. The performance of many universities in Japan and South Korea improved, but they still saw their ranking positions decline as they struggled to keep pace with other institutions.
In South-East Asia, Malaysia has emerged as one to watch. Universiti Teknologi Petronas, the country’s top-ranked institution, jumped from joint 43rd place to joint 35th, while several others from the country entered the top 100.
Experts suggest that Malaysia has become “more strategic”, including by learning from its neighbour Singapore – which has two universities in the top 10 – and capitalising on its large population to become China’s largest ASEAN partner in cross-border university ventures.
Across the board, the results highlight an increasingly competitive landscape across Asia – as countries invest more in their higher education systems, maintaining rank is becoming as challenging as reaching it.
Meanwhile, our Asia Universities Summit took place in Hong Kong this week. Delegates heard from university leaders about overlooked aspects of branch campus operations, including tuition fee price points and the question of financial independence. Another session saw scholars weigh up the benefits of the adoption of English-medium courses, which may attract more international applicants but can harm students’ employability.
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