Saudi Gazette report
LONDON — Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz University has risen six places on the list of world’s best young universities, according to an annual ranking released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), global higher education think tank.
Every year QS releases a ranking of the world’s best universities under 50 years of age. It is designed to emphasize the potential and excellence of universities without decades or centuries of established reputation, and to identify which of them might disrupt, or indeed have already disrupted, the global elite.
This year’s ranking indicates that Asia and Australia are home to the world’s strongest recently-formed institutions. King Abdul Aziz University is ranked 23rd.
King Khalid University has also risen in QS’s ‘Next 50 Under 50’ ranking. It jumps from the 91-100 band to the 71-80 category this year.
Asian institutions take all of the top six places, while six of the top-10 places are taken by universities with a heavy STEM focus.
Australia is the most-featured nation on the ranking, with its young universities taking 10 of the 50 available places.
Sixteen of the 50 available places go to Asian institutions. Europe is the most-featured continent, with 18 universities.
QS’s Head of Research, Ben Sowter, said: “The rankings suggest that young universities focused on strong STEM-based research programs stand the best chance of disrupting any established global elite.”
