Victoria University rockets up rankings
Victoria University has rocketed up the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018, one of only two Victorian universities that has improved.
On the back of a strong performance in 2016, VU has moved up a full 50-institution band into the leading 350, holding it firmly within the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide.
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Dawkins said the results confirmed VU's growing reputation on the global stage, and as a world-class university in Melbourne's West.
“For a young university, we are on a powerful trajectory moving from strength to strength. This confirms we are among the best universities in the world,” he said.
The Times Higher Education ranking is a world-best list from among just over 1100 eligible institutions of the world's 24,000 universities, across core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
VU broke into the rankings for the first time last year, debuting in the 351-400 band. This year, it reached the 301-350 band, and is one of the few universities in Victoria to have improved.
VU's strongest performers in today's world ranking announcement came in the areas of international outlook and citation impact, together valued at nearly 40%of its overall score.
VU's 40,000-strong student body includes 14,4000 international students, 5,600 of whom are studying at one of VU's several Melbourne campuses, and a further 8,800 studying a VU qualification at one of its international partners. Through its 120 exchange partners, more than 500 VU students gain a study abroad experience each year. With more than 100 years' experience in teaching, learning and research – 26 of them as a university – VU has a global network of more than 220,000 alumni, a significant portion who now work overseas.
VU's strong score for citations shows the solid contribution VU research is making to the advancement of global knowledge. Nearly 60% of the University's research funding comes from industry sources, and more than half its published research involves international collaborations. VU attracts research students from more than 60 countries around the world.
Vice-Chancellor Dawkins said VU's growing presence in world rankings demonstrated the hard work and innovations taking place at VU to build on its strengths and make it an outstanding university of the 21st century.
