The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks 42nd among the world’s top 400 research universities, according to the London-based Times Higher Education magazine.
The 2012-2013 ranking, released Oct. 3, is based on 13 separate performance indicators designed to capture the full range of university activities from teaching to research to knowledge transfer. Those indicators cover teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook.
Last year, the University ranked 43rd among the top 400 institutions. Among U.S. research universities making the newest list, UNC-Chapel Hill placed 26th overall and 11th among public campuses.
The California Institute of Technology tops the magazine’s list, followed by the University of Oxford, Stanford and Harvard universities and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The full rankings can be found here.
In 2008, the University completed a strategic roadmap for globalizing UNC-Chapel Hill resulting from the work of a task force of alumni with extensive international experience in business, government and non-government service, as well as faculty and administrators. The report summarized findings about Carolina’s strengths and challenges in the global arena, and outlined priorities, strategies, timelines and resources needed to become a top global university. Since then, the University has continued to strengthen global linkages and partnerships that further enhance international research and learning opportunities and advance an academic priority of preparing students for success in an increasingly connected world.
A key asset for the University is the FedEx Global Education Center, which was funded by sources including the 2000 Higher Education Bond Referendum and private gifts, including $5 million from FedEx Corp. The center houses student and faculty services, academic instruction, research, study abroad and cultural exchange. The building and the academic activities it houses also represent the University’s commitment to serve North Carolina when so many issues facing the state have global dimensions.
Published October 4, 2012.