(per) The American news magazine “Newsweek” has for the first time drawn up a ranking list of the world’s best universities. Shanghai Jiao Tong University published its annual academic performance parameters at almost the same time. For its ranking list, “Newsweek” used a mixture of the criteria of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and those of the “Times Higher Education Supplement” (4), and in addition it assessed the library holdings. In the case of “Newsweek”, the criteria of frequently cited scientists and of scientific publications, especially in “Nature” and “Science”, account for a total of 50 percent of the assessment. In contrast to the Shanghai assessment, the number of Nobel prizes and Fields medals per university was not taken into account in the “Newsweek” ranking.

Ranking maintained, ground lost

ETH ranks in 21st place in the “Newsweek” ranking (1) – six places higher than in the Shanghai ranking list. (2) In the latter, ETH has remained unchanged at place 27 since 2004. The only year when it was classed two places higher was 2003. Although ETH has held steady at the same ranking since 2004, it has regularly lost points: its overall result this year fell back to 41.2 from a points count of 45.6 in 2003. ETH has lost ground mainly in the areas of frequently cited scientists, “Nature” and “Science” publications and the other indexed publications; all indicators that contribute 20 percent each to the overall result in the Shanghai ranking. (3)

Anglo-Saxons predominate

The Shanghai ranking contains four American and one British university among the five best in the world: Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford, Berkeley and MIT lead the field. “Newsweek” also puts Harvard in first place, followed by Stanford, Yale, Caltech and Berkeley. According to the Shanghai ranking, 17 of the world’s 20 best universities are to be found in the USA, two in Great Britain and one in Japan. “Newsweek” includes “only” 15 American universities in the top 20, with three British, one Japanese and one Canadian university completing the group of top establishments. ETH Zurich is still the best address in continental Europe in both ranking lists.

EPF Lausanne occupies 26th position in the “Newsweek” ranking and does not appear among the top 100 in the Shanghai ranking.