The FINANCIAL — Aston University has been classed a world-leading institution by two respected rankings tables published this week.
The University was ranked the 70th best university in the world under the age of 50 by the Times Higher Education’s (THE) ‘100 Under 50 Rankings Table, released on April 30.
In the QS World University Rankings, Aston was rated among the top 100 higher education institutions in the world for Business and Management Studies. For English Language and Literature, Linguistics and Accounting and Finance courses it was named in the best 200, according to Aston University.
The QS rankings rate the world’s finest universities in individual subject areas based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact. It is aimed at prospective students who are deciding where to study.
In this year’s THE guide, Aston rose 11 places compared to its 81st ranking last year. The authoritative rankings table takes into account a range of 13 performance indicators, including the reputation and influence of an institution’s research, the quality of its teaching and the scope of its international outlook, to allow the THE to produce a comprehensive list of the world’s 100 highest achieving young universities.
THE Rankings Editor, Phil Baty, noted Aston’s strength in its international outlook and research reputation. The University was deemed to have a vibrant and diverse student and its academics to be highly collaborative with international colleagues, with a high proportion of research papers co-authored with an academic from at least one other country.
Remarking on Aston’s impressive performance in the ‘100 Under 50 Rankings Table’, Phil Baty said: “Aston has a particularly strong score for ‘international outlook’, which looks at its ability to attract international student and academic talent, and its publication of internationally collaborative research. A strong international outlook is one of the essential ingredients of success on the global stage – helping to draw on a big pool of global talent, to raise a university’s global reputation and ensure a wide dissemination of its research”
In the THE World University Rankings, published earlier this year, Aston was similarly praised for its international profile. The University was deemed to have a vibrant and diverse student body and its academics to be highly collaborative with international colleagues, publishing a high proportion of research papers with a co-author from at least one other country.
Professor Helen Higson, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Aston University, said: “We are delighted to be named one of the best young universities in the world and have the world-class quality of our teaching recognised in the same week. We are determined to continue developing as a university, offering existing and potential students a high quality experience while challenging older institutions with the real-world impact and quality of our research.”
