IITs slip in Asian university rankings

A majority of premier Indian Institutes of Technology have not performed well in the 2010 QS Asian University Rankings released on Thursday.

IIT Bombay's rank, for instance, fell six places to 36 this year. It was ranked 30 last year. IIT Kanpur, too, slipped three notches to be ranked at 37 against 34 last year, while IIT Delhi fell from 36 to 39 this year.

"The rankings are OK. We are not obsessed with it. Our endeavour is to continue our efforts to excel in teaching and research and we are constantly trying to improve," countered Devang Khakkar, director, IIT Bombay.

IIT Kharagpur, on the other hand, climbed 84 positions up to figure at 57 against 141 last year. The University of Hyderabad, which did not figure on the list at all last year, was ranked the 81st best Asian university this year.

IIT Guwahati, too, stands at 66 this year against 171 last year. "Though we are not aware of the process of the rankings, we are happy that we have climbed 105 notches. We are constantly attempting to get better and we hope to figure in the list of at least the top 50 best institutions next year," said Gautam Barua, director, IIT Guwahati.

Win some, lose some
Institute	2009	2010
LOSERS
IIT Bombay	30	36
IIT Kanpur	34	37
IIT Delhi	36	39
IIT Madras	49	53
University of Delhi	60	67
IIT Roorkee	63	75
University of Pune	100	109
Gainers
IIT Kharagpur	141	57
University of Mumbai	130	96
University of Calcutta	110	99
IIT Guwahati	171	66
Source:  QS Asian University Rankings

The rankings listed Asia's top 200 universities, where 12 Indian institutions figure, including seven IITs and five universities. "Strength in academic peer recognition helped seven Indian Institutes of Technology and 15 South Korean universities appear in the Asian top 100," a note from the QS press office said.

Meanwhile, among the 200 best Asian universities, the University of Hong Kong retains the top slot this year too, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is ranked 2nd against 4th position last year and National University of Singapore is ranked 3rd against 10 th last year.

"The rise of National University of Singapore to third place overall is underpinned by a strong performance in the international faculty, international students and academic peer review measures, amidst a drive to internationalise Singapore's universities," the QS press office said.

In total, 11 countries are represented in the top 200, with Japanese universities occupying 57 of the top 200 and five of the top 10 places in this year's table. "Government-led investment, most recently through the 'Global 30' programme, has helped drive up standards by attracting high-quality international students and staff, areas of the rankings in which Japanese universities excel," the release added.

Highlights of the research include the continued dominance of Japan's universities and the success of Hong Kong's increasingly internationalised institutions, which take three out of the top four places.

Measuring factors including the quality of research through citations, and the proportion of international students and staff, the rankings indicate that an international outlook adds considerably to the reputation and status of universities in the region.

In 2009, the rankings revealed the strength of Hong Kong and Japan, which together accounted for all of the top five positions. The Asian University Rankings have been compiled by using parameters that are considered to be more appropriate to institutions in this region.

These parameters include assessing a combination of regional and international factors, such as peer and recruiter reviews, the international research capabilities of the institution, teaching quality, and internationalisation of the staff and students, among others.