Taiwan makes big research strides in global university index

London, April 14 (CNA) Taiwan has experienced its most significant ever improvement in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, according to data provided by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) to CNA Sunday.

Compared to the previous edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase, according to QS.

Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a solid 13 percent rise.

Furthermore, Taiwan saw a 10 percent rise in Academic Reputation, but an 18 percent decline in Employer Reputation, following a survey of 98,000 hiring managers, human resources workers, and talent managers who indicated their preferred universities when running recruitment drives.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter commented: "Taiwan, home to just only 24 million people, is a cornerstone of academic prowess in Asia, boasting the second-highest concentration of ranked universities per capita in the region in the 14th edition of the QS World University Rankings."

"This remarkable feat not only underscores the robustness of Taiwan's higher education system but also speaks volumes about its regional and global competitiveness," he added.

Sowter said Taiwan's higher education landscape has made notable strides this year, explaining that, "Significant improvements in research impact indicators signal a burgeoning influence on the global academic stage."

However, Sowter noted the challenges Taiwan still faced, evidenced by its decline in the Employer Reputation and International Research Network indicators, which he said served as reminders of the importance of fostering stronger ties with employers and diversifying research collaboration.

Sowter highlighted National Taiwan University (NTU) as being renowned for its consistent stellar performance and unwavering commitment to innovation. He said NTU, consistently ranked in the top 10 in Asia, was a testament to Taiwan's academic prestige.

The 2024 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject is an independent, comparative analysis of the academic excellence and influence of more than 1,500 universities in 96 countries and territories, across 55 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas.

NTU appeared in 44 of the 55 subjects evaluated and was the highest-ranked Taiwanese university. It was featured in the global top 20 for Classics & Ancient History and in the top 50 for Library & Information Management, Social Policy & Administration, Modern Languages, and Sociology.

Other subjects taught at Taiwanese universities also featured in the global top 50, including Taipei Medical University (25th, Nursing), National Taiwan Normal University (27th, Education), National Chengchi University (30th, Classics & Ancient History), and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (38th, Hospitality & Leisure Management).

In this year's rankings, NTU secured 9th position in Asia with 32 entries in the Top 100.

Furthermore, NTU shared the 7th spot in Asia for the number of Top 200 entries, along with the National University of Singapore and Peking University, with all three institutions having 44 entries in this tier.

Taiwan also boasts the second-highest concentration of ranked universities per capita in Asia in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Taiwan secured second place with one ranked university per 956,931 people, following Hong Kong, which had one ranked university per 832,401 individuals, according to the rankings.