University in Singapore beats both Chinese and Scandinavian universities

“National University of Singapore” is not only the best university in Southeast Asia and China, but it is also better than any Scandinavian University.

It is Times Higher Education who annually ranks the 400 best universities in the world and their World University Ranking list 2012-2013 appeared this week.

“National University of Singapore” is ranked 29 on this year’s list moving up from a placement as number 40 on last year’s list. That is better than any Chinese or Scandinavian universities. Last year “University of Hong Kong” was best in comparison of Chinese, Southeast Asian and Scandinavian universities, with Swedish  “Karolinske Institute” coming second, but while “National University of Singapore” has moved up, “University of Hong Kong” has one step down and “Karolinske Institute” droped from 32 to 42 on the list.

Singapore got two universities in top 100. Besides National University it is “Nanyang Technological University” that jump from a placement as 169 last year to 86 this year.

China is doing very well with four universities in top 100 and six in top 200. Best among Chinese universities is “University of Hong Kong” as number 35 and second is Peking University which climb a few step from 49 last year to 46 this year. Four of the six top 200 universities in China are in Hong Kong.

Despite Karolinske Institute’s decline Sweden is still best in Scandinavian, having two universities in top 100 and five in top 200. “Lund University” becomes second in both Sweden and Scandinavian with a placement as 82. “Upssala University” becomes third in the Scandinavian and Swedish competition as number 106.

Finland has only one university in top 200. “University Helsinki” slides from 91 last year to a placement as 109 this year. That makes Helsinki the fourth best university in Scandinavian.

Denmark has no universities in top 100 but three in top 200, all moving a bit up this year. Best university in Denmark is “Aarhus University” ranking as number 116. The two others are “Copenhagen University” (130) and “Technical University of Denmark” (149).

Norway suffers the indignity not to get any universities in top 200. Last year Oslo and Bergen universities both was in top 200, but Oslo has fallen from 181 to a placement in the 201-225 group and Bergen, which last year made it as number 191 in the world is now placed somewhere between 226-250.

In Southeast Asia only Singapore makes it to the top 200, but the top 400 got a new entry. King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi becomes Thailand’s first University ranked between the 400 best universities in the world. It’s placement in the group labelled 351-400 also makes Thailand the first Southeast Asian country besides Singapore on Times Higher Education’s list.