Curtin University has climbed into the world’s top 200 universities in the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) published today.
The University is now placed in the 151-200 band, up from the 201-300 band in 2016 and 2015, and from 301-400 in 2014 and 401-500 in 2013, with the University estimated to be 180th in the world and 9th in Australia.
The ARWU listing is widely recognised for its relevance as a research-orientated ranking system, and is based on a range of measures including research output and number of Highly Cited Researchers.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the significant rise positions Curtin as a leading global university.
“Curtin continues to rise year on year in the rankings, and we are committed to continuing on the upward trajectory,” Professor Terry said.
“The University is now placed in the top one per cent of universities worldwide and this incredible achievement is evidence that our drive for excellence in research is having a significant impact on our global reputation.
“Curtin’s focus on improving the quality of our faculty staff, with more Curtin researchers identified as Highly Cited Researchers, and increased research output in particular publications in Nature and Science since 2013, have all contributed to the University’s performance in the ARWU.”
Curtin improved on a range of indicators, with the biggest increase in the number of Highly Cited Researchers, with an increase of 22.5 per cent from 2013.
This year marks the University’s ‘50 Years of Innovation’, recognising the combined history of the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), which opened its doors to students in 1967 and evolved into Curtin University in 1987.
Curtin was one of only 23 Australian universities to make the top 500.
The ARWU listing is released annually by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a fully independent organisation dedicated to research on higher education.
For more information on the ARWU rankings and the full list, visit http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2017.html
