Imperial College Is the UK’s Most International University
For the second year in a row, Imperial College was ranked as the most international university in the UK. The 2017 ranking from Times Higher Education looked at the “international outlook” of every university on its list. This year, Imperial moved up five places to 5th overall, up from 10th last year.
The ‘World’s Most International Universities’ 2017 ranking reviewed schools based on their strong global connections as well as their “cultural disposition” to think beyond borders. In large part, the ranking drew from the “international outlook” pillar of The World University Rankings 2016-17, which provided information on international staff, students, and co-authors. However, the ranking also reviewed international reputations before making its decision.
ETH Zurich—Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich placed first on the list, followed by École Polytechnique, another school in Switzerland. The University of Hong Kong ranked third while the National University of Singapore ranked fourth. As for other UK universities that made it into the top ten: the University of Oxford ranked 6th, directly behind Imperial. And spots eight, nine, and ten were all UK schools with University of Cambridge, University College London and London School of Economics and Political Science ranking in order respectively.
Imperial College London was ranked fifth on the list because of its global community. In a press release form the university, Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College London, said, “Imperial’s excellence arises from its talented people who come from all over the world. There is something special about a global academic community where people from different cultures contribute diverse perspectives, new ideas, and fresh approaches to solving complex problems. Great discoveries arise when brilliant people absorb and learn things from the breadth of people they meet. We are proud to be the UK’s most international university.”
Another aspect of Imperial’s global mindset is its research collaborations. Imperial connects with each of the other top ten international universities. In addition, Imperial’s staff and students come from more than 100 countries. To learn more, visit Imperial’s global webpage.