DCU rises in top young global university rankings

DCU is the only Irish university to feature in the THE 100 under 50 rankings every year since they were first published in 2011.  

The index aims to identify those institutions with “the potential to become the next generation’s Harvard or Oxford”. It is restricted to those universities established that are less than 50 years in existence. Some 28 countries are represented in the rankings 

Teaching excellence, vital research and engagement with industry all contributed to DCU’s rise up the rankings. It scored particularly strongly in its international outlook – one of five metrics against which the universities were measured. Other criteria included industry income, research, citations and teaching.  

Welcoming the latest index, DCU president Prof Brian MacCraith said he was delighted with the performance, as they reflected “a sustained commitment to teaching excellence, focusing our research on pressing world problems and engagement with community and industry, both nationally and globally”.  

Prof MacCraith pointed to the reconfiguration of DCU’s research strategy, which targeted tangible outputs in areas such as connected health, digital society, sustainable economies and democratic societies, deepening a strong tradition of collaboration with industry and international academic partners. “All of this is underpinned by the dedication of our academic and research staff who deliver an exceptional student learning experience, informed and enhanced by real world engagement,” he said. 

The publication of the rankings coincided with the prestigious THE Young Universities Summit, which DCU hosted on the 29th and 30th of April. Now in its second year, the event covered a range of topics of interest to the higher education sector, such as funding and leadership challenges, niche research strategy and the pursuit of excellence.  

Speakers at the event included Ireland’s Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan TD, as well as Luc Soete, Rector at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and Atul Chauhan, President of Amity University in Mumbai, India. Lord David Puttnam gave the keynote address on the second day of the summit, and his talk discussed the role of technology in higher education.  

Phil Baty, editor of the THE rankings, referred to the event when he commented on the latest rankings. “DCU’s dynamism and determination to make its mark globally is demonstrated by its decision to host Times Higher Education’s 2015 Young Universities Summit, which will put it at the heart of the debate about how new institutions can best compete with rivals that have had centuries to develop.”