London: Harvard University has topped the list of top 100 universities of the world. There are 36 universities from the US, 18 universities from the UK and 16 from the Asian Countries. Also, none of the Indian Universities is in the top 100, and that’s not a surprise to us.
The rankings are based on an international survey of 9,000 academics who assessed the institutions’ research facility, teaching quality and ability to recruit staff and students abroad. The list goes as:
1. Harvard, US
2. Cambridge, UK
3. Yale, US
4. UCL, London UK
5. Imperial College, London and Oxford both UK, joint 5,
7. Chicago US,
8. Princeton US,
9. MIT, Massachusetts US
10. California Institute of Technology US.
Our View: It is not surprising that there are no Indian Universities in the list. The amount of focus and investments in our education system have been minuscule. Despite the talent pool we have, we have not been able to tap the same benefits to create academic institutions that attract students from worldwide. The student exchange programs at IIMs are probably the only relatively successful achievement, but it is not like having a globally competitive university. Safety of foreign students in India a valid concern, because there are unwanted elements in the open society. Even Indian students have been flying to other countries for better education, and in turn spending money in other countries. Without better social discipline and assured safety of students, there is no way an Indian University can get into the global top rankings.