THE Emerging Economies Ranking 2022

TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGING ECONOMIES RANKING SHOWS SECONDARY EMERGING COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY

• Latest THE Emerging Economies Universities Rankings 2022 demonstrate the growing strength of institutions from Secondary Emerging countries
  
• Record number of universities qualify for the 2022 ranking, 698, a 15% increase from 2021 (606), from 50 countries and regions
  
• Majority of universities from Secondary Emerging economies (54%) improved or maintained their previous positions
  
• Success of Secondary Emerging countries in the 2021 ranking driven by Russia, India, and mainland China
  
• Mainland China becomes retains seven positions in the world’s top 10
  
• India’s Saveetha University (=166^th) sees the biggest climb out of any other university in the rankings – previously in the 501+ band
  
• 49% of universities from Advanced Emerging economies failed to improve or maintain their previous ranking positions
  
• First time represented in the rankings for both Palestine and Tanzania
  
• View the THE Emerging Economies Universities Rankings in full here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2022/emerging-economies-university-rankings
  
  
• View the View the THE Emerging Economies Universities Rankings methodology here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/emerging-economies-university-rankings-2022-methodology

• View the REGIONAL / COUNTRY HEADLINES here
  

19 October 2021

Times Higher Education (THE) has today announced the result of it’s THE Emerging Economies Ranking 2022, which includes institutions in countries or regions classified by the London Stock Exchange’s FTSE Group as “Advanced Emerging”, “Secondary Emerging” or “Frontier”. The ranking demonstrates the continued growing strength of Secondary Emerging countries, heavily driven by mainland China’s, India’s, and Russia’s universities. The ranking comprises a record 698 universities from 50 countries and regions, as 104 universities make their debut. The rankings are published once in line with the latest edition of the THE World University Rankings, the 2022 edition of which was released in September.

Continuing a trend seen in the THE Emerging Economies Universities Ranking 2021, universities from Secondary Emerging economies are leading the way. Of the 305 that ranked last year, 54% (165) improved or maintained their previous ranking positions. This was heavily driven by 26 of Russia’s 48 universities that ranked last year improving or maintaining their positions (54%), 32 of India’s 62 universities (52%), and 41 of mainland China’s 90 (46%). Mainland China also becomes the first country or region to hold on to seven positions in the top 10 in consecutive years. Following Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology’s (MIPT) climb to 10^th, Russia sees two universities in the elite group, doubling its representation since the previous ranking.

Table below: Top 10 universities in THE Emerging Economies Ranking compared to 2021

While the majority of universities from Secondary Emerging countries and regions see improvements, those from Advanced Emerging and Frontier markets do not. Of the 223 universities from Advanced countries and regions that ranked last year, 49% lost positions (111), and only 12% (26) improved. This was a similar trend for universities from Frontier countries and regions, where 55% (36) of the 66 qualified universities lost positions from the last edition of the rankings, while 20% (13) improved.

Despite the general decline for Advanced and Frontier markets, there are standout performances for Cyprus’ University of Nicosia (=122^nd), Kenya’s University of Nairobi (=134^th), Estonia’s Tallinn University of Technology (=137^th), Thailand’s King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (=185^th), Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Sergipe (190^th), and Nigeria’s Covenant University (=197^th), move into the top 200. Bangladesh’s University of Dhaka (251-300) moves up two ranking bands to gain a spot in the top 300, and Hungary’s Semmelweis University (=33^rd) achieves the country’s highest position in the rankings.  

This year in the THE Emerging Economies Ranking, 12 universities moved up at least two ranking bands since the last edition, three of which rank in this year’s top 200 – mainland China’s Capital Medical University (105^th) and Wenzhou Medical University (191^st), and India’s Saveetha University (166^th). Saveetha University sees the biggest climb of any university in the ranking, moving up an impressive six ranking bands to achieve its first position in the top 200.

Six universities moved into the top 100 following significant gains, including United Arab Emirates’ University of Sharjah (61^st), both of Turkey’s Middle East Technical University (=68^th) and Istanbul Technical University (83^rd), both of mainland China’s Southern Medical University (=70^th) and China Agricultural University (=94^th), University of International Business and Economics (=96^th), and Malaysia’s Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (91^st).

This year sees 104 universities from 32 countries and regions around the world debut in the THE Emerging Economies ranking. Of these universities, 20 were able to secure a place in the world’s top 200. Taiwan’s National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (23^rd) ranks highest of all debutant universities, closely missing out on a position in the top 20. Lastly, for the first time Palestine and Tanzania are both represented in the rankings for the first time through Palestine’s An-Najah National University (=94^th), and Tanzania’s University of Dar es Salaam (501+).

Table below: Top 200 ranked debutants in the THE Emerging Economies Ranking 2022

Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer, THE, commented:

"From the results of this year’s THE Emerging Economies Ranking, it is clear countries and regions from secondary emerging economies are still leading the way. Mainland China’s universities continue to dominate this year’s top positions off the back of continued targeted investment in its higher education system, a trend also seen in THE’s World University Rankings where they are now consistently challenging the world’s ‘elite’ institutions.

“Over half of the universities that ranked last year manage to improve or maintain their positions in the rankings, despite an additional 92 universities qualifying since the last edition. After what has been an extremely challenging 18 months for many, I’m confident universities from emerging economies have the strength and quality to adapt to a new hybrid way of teaching and learning. I’m looking forward to seeing how their higher education systems prosper from the opportunities that arise, both internally and on a international scale."