Press release - 4 February 2014 19:01

Umeå University climbs in 'top 50 under 50' world ranking

"We are not only the highest ranked Swedish university on the list, but also first among the Nordic countries," says Lena Gustafsson, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University. "We are the listed as tenth in Europe which is very gratifying."

"QS Top 50 under 50" ranks the top universities in the world that are under 50 years old. This is the third time QS has published the ranking, which aims to highlight relatively newly established universities already making a big impact in the global rankings. This feat is particularly impressive as the ranking is compiled based on factors including international reputation, research citations and international diversity of students and staff – all of which typically take a significant period of time to establish.

As Umeå University will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, this is the last time they will be listed in this ranking table.

QS head of research Ben Sowter, said: “The dynamic nature of this ranking makes it an interesting comparison with our global and regional rankings. By focusing on the performance of these younger institutions alone, the list aims to spot the up-and-coming higher education powerhouses in the global arena."

Universities in Asia occupy the top three places this year. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) kept the top spot and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) retained second place. KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology held the third spot.

"The international competition is fierce, but this placement indicates that we occupy a relatively strong and stable position, both nationally and internationally," explains Lena Gustafsson. "But there are many challenges and we are actively working to achieve even higher quality - in both research and education.”

The ranking of young higher education institutions is based on 2013/14 QS World University Rankings. Umeå University was ranked 289th on this list. The ranking is compiled based on factors including international reputation, research citations and international diversity of students and staff.

QS Top 50 Under 50 2013/14

For further information, please contact:

Lena Gustafsson, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University
Phone: +46 (0)73-079 42 91
E-mail: lena.gustafsson@adm.umu.se

Photo by: Elin Berge

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General Press Inquiries

Press contact Press Officer press@umu.se +46 90 786 50 89

Marie Oskarsson

Press contact Kommunikatör Lärarhögskolan, Umeå universitet marie.oskarsson@umu.se 0909-786 69 47

Umeå University

Umeå University is one of Sweden's largest universities with over 37,000 students and 4,300 employees. The university is home to a wide range of education programmes and world-class research in a number of fields. Umeå University was also where the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 was discovered – a revolution in gene-technology that was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Founded in 1965, Umeå University is characterised by tradition and stability as well as innovation and change. Education and research on a high international level contributes to new knowledge of global importance, inspired, among other things, by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The university houses creative and innovative people that take on societal challenges. Through long-term collaboration with organisations, trade and industry, and other universities, Umeå University continues to develop northern Sweden as a knowledge region.

The international atmosphere at the university and its unified campus encourages academic meetings, an exchange of ideas and interdisciplinary co-operation. The cohesive environment enables a strong sense of community and a dynamic and open culture in which students and staff rejoice in the success of others.

Campus Umeå and Umeå Arts Campus are only a stone's throw away from Umeå town centre and are situated next to one of Sweden's largest and most well-renowned university hospitals. The university also has campuses in the neighbouring towns Skellefteå and Örnsköldsvik.

At Umeå University, you will also find the highly-ranked Umeå Institute of Design, the environmentally certified Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics and the only architectural school with an artistic orientation – Umeå School of Architecture. The university also hosts a contemporary art museum Bildmuseet and Umeå's science centre – Curiosum. Umeå University is one of Sweden's five national sports universities and hosts an internationally recognised Arctic Research Centre.