Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024: PM Modi's efforts applauded as India most-represented nation

Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, lauded the efforts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attributing the exponential growth from 13 to close to 100 ranked institutions since 2019 to a highly successful internationalization initiative.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Jun 12, 2024, 3:39 PM IST | Last Updated Jun 12, 2024, 3:39 PM IST

In a significant testament to India's burgeoning presence on the global higher education stage, the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024 has unveiled India as the world's leading nation in representation, with a remarkable surge in the number of ranked universities. Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, lauded the efforts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attributing the exponential growth from 13 to close to 100 ranked institutions since 2019 to a highly successful internationalization initiative.

"India is the world’s number one best represented nation in the @timeshighered Impact Rankings 2024. Over 100 universities are ranked, up from just 13 in 2019, thanks to the remarkably successful internationalisation drive spearheaded by @narendramodi," Baty wrote in a post on X.

According to the latest rankings, India stands at the forefront with 96 institutions securing positions, underscoring the country's commitment to fostering excellence and innovation in academia. Following closely behind are Turkey and Pakistan.

Notable mentions among Indian universities include Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham securing the 81st rank, followed by JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), and Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences within the 101-200 band. BS Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology also clinched a commendable position in the 201-300 band.

The THE Impact Rankings evaluated a staggering 2,152 universities from 125 countries/regions, with Australia's Western Sydney University retaining its crown as the top-ranked institution for the third consecutive year. Following closely are the University of Manchester and the University of Tasmania from the UK and Australia, respectively, jointly securing the second position.

Integral to the methodology of the rankings is the incorporation of scores across various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting universities' overall performance and impact. The assessment encompasses four key areas: Research, Stewardship, Outreach, and Teaching, offering a holistic comparison of institutions worldwide.

This year's results highlight the emergence of certain university systems as frontrunners in specific SDGs. For instance, the UK stands out for its excellence in responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), while South Korea demonstrates notable prowess in promoting decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).

Top 20 countries/regions represented in the overall Impact Rankings 2024

Country/region	Number of institutions	Top institution	Rank
India	96	Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham	=81
Turkey	91	Istanbul Technical University	34
Pakistan	89	COMSATS University Islamabad	201-300
		Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology	201-300
Russian Federation	79	Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University	201-300
		RUDN University	201-300
Thailand	77	Mahidol University	=19
Japan	74	Hokkaido University	=72
Iraq	71	University of Basrah	401-600
United Kingdom	68	University of Manchester	=2
Philippines	56	Ateneo de Manila University	201-300
Brazil	55	University of São Paulo	101-200
Algeria	54	University of Oum El Bouaghi	401-600
Uzbekistan	53	Alisher Navo’i Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature	301-400
Spain	52	Polytechnic University of Valencia	101-200
		Rovira i Virgili University	101-200
		University of Barcelona	101-200
		University of Girona	101-200
		University of Jaén	101-200
		University of Vigo	101-200
Taiwan	51	National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)	=25
Egypt	46	Ain Shams University	201-300
		Mansoura University	201-300
United States	46	Arizona State University (Tempe)	9
Indonesia	45	University of Indonesia	31
Ukraine	42	Sumy State University	201-300
France	33	Institut Agro	=21
Saudi Arabia	32	King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals	=81