Asia Hits New Milestones In 2021 Times Higher Education Rankings

By improving upon research and industry indicators, Asia’s top universities are continuing to climb the 2021 THE World University Rankings.



1. China leads the pack

For the first time, an Asian university has broken into the top 20 of THE’s World Rankings, previously dominated by US and UK institutions. Up three spots from 2020, China’s Tsinghua University lands tied with US’ Duke University at 20th in this year’s list, further establishing itself as a regional and global leader in higher education.

Besides having the best ranked Asian university, China is also the region’s most represented country with a total of six institutions in the top 100. This figure, which is double the count of last year’s rankings, comes as three Chinese universities leapt up from the 201-300 range to enter the world’s top 100. Their improvement is yet another testament to the Asian giant’s steady rise among global powerhouses in the academic sector.


2. Regional leaders continue ascent

Asia’s leading performers are a picture of consistency. Once they reach the top, these institutions seldom fall off, securing their place among the world’s best and finding ways to improve their performance.

Alongside China, South Korea is well-represented by seven universities in the global top 200. Seoul National University, the country’s top performing institution on the World Rankings, also slotted into the top 60, climbing from 64th last year.

Similarly rising through the ranks, Kyoto University in Japan jumped nine spots from 65th to 54th in the 2021 cycle. Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo maintained its rank at 36th, as did the National University of Singapore (NUS) at 25th.

Erinne Ong reports on basic scientific discoveries and impact-oriented applications, ranging from biomedicine to artificial intelligence. She graduated with a degree in Biology from De La Salle University, Philippines.

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