THE Emerging Economies University Rankings 2018: new name, wider frame

We’ve dropped the term ‘BRICS’ not to disparage any country’s feats but rather to recognise an expanding world of strength and diversity, says Phil Baty

May 9, 2018
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Browse the full Emerging Economies University Rankings 2018 results


You may already have noticed something a little different about the 2018 edition of the Times Higher Education Emerging Economies Rankings – a small but significant tweak to its name.

Since first publishing this ranking in 2014, we have included in its title the famous “BRICS” acronym – coined in 2001 by the economist Jim O’Neill to highlight the major emerging economic powerhouses of Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa added later. But now we have dropped the “BRICS” from our name.

This move is in no way to diminish the importance of the BRICS nations in global higher education – indeed, China in particular is now clearly established as a world higher education superpower competing alongside the traditional Anglo-American heavyweights. Russia is making solid progress on the global scene with its ambitious “Project 5-100”, which aims to propel five universities into the ranks of the world’s top 100 by 2020. And India has launched its own version of the “excellence initiatives” that have raised standards in many emerging economy higher education systems: its “Institutions of Eminence” plans will allow a select group of up to 20 leading institutions from both the public and private sectors to embrace global competition with additional funding and unprecedented levels of institutional autonomy.

Our name change is not about belittling any country’s hard-won achievements but rather aims to recognise the exceptional strength in the wide diversity of the emerging economy nations, BRICS and all.


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Any nation deemed an emerging economy by the FTSE Group’s Country Classification process is included for analysis in this ranking. This edition includes a total of 42 nations represented among more than 350 institutions ranked.

The ranking includes the “MINT” nations predicted to become economic giants – Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey. It also takes in most of the group that THE itself labelled the “TACTICS” – Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Turkey, Iran, Colombia and Serbia – which appear to be particularly poised for success in higher education, with young populations, strong growth in higher education participation and expanding research output.

So a subtle change to the name of this ranking represents a far less subtle change taking place in global higher education – the rise of a rich and diverse range of nations, spread across the globe, powered by higher-level skills, talent, research and innovation. We are delighted to celebrate that. 

Phil Baty
Editorial director, global rankings


Countries/regions represented in the Emerging Economies University Rankings 2018

Country/region    

Number of institutions in ranking

Top institution

Rank

China

63

Peking University

1

India

42

Indian Institute of Science

13

Brazil

32

University of São Paulo

14

Taiwan

31

National Taiwan University

10

Russian Federation

27

Lomonosov Moscow State University

3

Turkey

22

Koç University

16

Chile

13

Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

67

Czech Republic

13

Charles University in Prague

48

Poland

12

University of Warsaw

=87

Mexico

11

Monterrey Institute of Technology
and Higher Education

=68

 

 

National Autonomous University of Mexico

=68

Pakistan

10

Quaid-i-azam University

=85

Thailand

10

Mahidol University

76

Egypt

9

Beni-Suef University

=114

Malaysia

9

University of Malaya

27

South Africa

8

University of Cape Town

9

Greece

7

University of Crete

39

Hungary

7

Semmelweis University

=61

Colombia

5

University of the Andes, Colombia

91

Romania

5

Babeş-Bolyai University

=162

Indonesia

4

University of Indonesia

=184

United Arab Emirates

4

Khalifa University of Science and Technology

15

Jordan

3

Jordan University of Science and Technology

=73

Morocco

3

Mohammed V University of Rabat

201–250

 

 

University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad

201–250

Slovakia

3

Comenius University in Bratislava

179

Croatia

2

University of Split

107

Cyprus

2

University of Cyprus

30

Estonia

2

University of Tartu

28

Latvia

2

Riga Technical University

251–300

 

 

University of Latvia

251–300

Lithuania

2

Vilnius University

=140

Slovenia

2

University of Maribor

113

Tunisia

2

University of Tunis El Manar

251–300

Argentina

1

National University of Córdoba

301–350

Bangladesh

1

University of Dhaka

301–350

Bulgaria

1

Sofia University

301–350

Ghana

1

University of Ghana

=182

Kenya

1

University of Nairobi

251–300

Nigeria

1

University of Ibadan

201–250

Oman

1

Sultan Qaboos University

=159

Peru

1

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

=195

Philippines

1

University of the Philippines

166

Qatar

1

Qatar University

35

Sri Lanka

1

University of Colombo

301–350


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