- Published: 04/10/2012 at 07:19 PM
King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) is placed in the 350-400 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2012-2013.
Mahidol University was ranked in the same band with KMUTT in the 2011-2012 influential education rankings report, but failed to retain its spot this year.
The Times used 13 performance indicators to evaluate more than 700 universities including research, teaching, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
The University of Tokyo was the highest-ranked Asian university at 27th, ahead of National University of Singapore (29) and University of Hong Kong (35).
According to the rankings, the top 10 universities in the world are the California Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of California, Berkeley and University of Chicago.
A closer analysis of the rankings, however, showed many US and British institutions losing ground in contrast to Asia.
Universities in China, Singapore, Taiwan and especially South Korea witnessed a surge in performance in what was described as evidence of a power shift from the West to the East.
Dirk Van Damme, head of the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said: "Academic excellence is gradually shifting away from the 20th-century centres. The US and the UK still dominate the absolute summit, but they face a severe loss of total position in the top 200 list."
The ranking system warned of Britain slipping into global mediocrity within a generation due to funding cuts, higher tuition fees and rising global competition.
"Outside the golden triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, England's world-class universities face a collapse into global mediocrity," Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education rankings, said.
"Huge investment in top research universities across Asia is starting to pay off. And while the sun rises in the East, England faces a perfect storm," he added.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 06/10/2012 at 12:51 PM
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Which “entire national budget” D13 the little left after everyone took his/her share? The conditions of Government schools are terrible and so is the learning standard; I know what I’m talking about as I’m involved in Rotary and Chamber of Commerce projects for rural schools and have seen it myself.
- Discussion 2 : 06/10/2012 at 06:39 AM
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dickemery 12 - "the lack of investment in education in thailand is small"
For the last decade, an average of 22% of the entire national budget was spent on education. Money isn't the problem.
- Discussion 3 : 05/10/2012 at 09:08 AM
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no surprise, the lack of investment in education in thailand is small,it seems they being the masters dont want the local thai to learn too much ,otherwise the game is up ?
- Discussion 4 : 05/10/2012 at 08:45 AM
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The elite don’t care about the standard of universities in Thailand, they send their kids to well-known oversea universities; good education available for the mass would probably jeopardize their superior status.
- Discussion 5 : 05/10/2012 at 07:46 AM
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Sadly, is anyone surprised by this story?
- Discussion 6 : 05/10/2012 at 06:28 AM
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Salaries increased 29% however elete University of California Berkeley world ranking drops like a rock. Chancellor Birgeneau ($450,000) Provost Breslauer ($306,000) like to blame the politicians, since they stopped giving them their entitled funding. The Cal. ‘charge instate students higher tuition’ skyrocketed fees by an average 14% per year from 2006 to 2011 academic years. If they had allowed fees to rise at the same rate of inflation over past 10 years fees would still be in reach of middle income students. Breslauer Birgeneau increase disparities in higher education, defeat the promise of equality of opportunity, and create a less-educated work force.
- Discussion 7 : 05/10/2012 at 01:14 AM
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One of the technology departments at KMUTT is run entirely by staff who have all received PhDs from a top US university.
- Discussion 8 : 05/10/2012 at 01:03 AM
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Bummer! There goes Thailand’s plan to add “education hub” to its long list of hub fantasies. I would love to see a list of universities attended by all Thai ministers and politicians, the field of study and the world ranking of these universities. And in some cases the cost of the minimum required bachelor’s degree and how long the correspondence course took.
- Discussion 9 : 05/10/2012 at 12:54 AM
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Having taught in a Thai unversity (not a "top" one i should perhaps add) i am surprised one makes the top 1000 let alone the the top 400. I agree with wikipedia that Thai graduates are the equivalent of 16 or 17 year olds (at a push) in the USA and Europe.
What Thailand should take note of from this survery is the number of high ranking "tech" colleges in the list and think accordingly. Tech colleges here are regarded as 2nd rate and that needs to change in the 21st century.
Perhaps more urgently review the role of thevRajabhat Universities who are so far down the pecking order they can barely justify the title of university at all. Sadly they produce over 70% of Thailands teachers; enough said i guess.
- Discussion 10 : 05/10/2012 at 12:48 AM
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"Simple answer is that we won't!! Our young people will be disadvantaged from getting well paid jobs & Thailand will remain a country of rice farmers. Very sad!"
Nothing wrong with that. Take the Balinese, they are mostly rice farmers and they're happy with their lives.
- Discussion 11 : 04/10/2012 at 09:42 PM
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Dont stress yourself.Its a sham....besides who really cares about these fake rankings.On the ground the situation speaks for itself.ASIA ROCKS!
- Discussion 12 : 04/10/2012 at 09:33 PM
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Certainly nothing to be proud of.
Over the years many posts on this website have been critical of successive Thai Government's inaction in addressing the education standards in this country. I am afraid that tablets for year 1 students is pure folly.
Being Thai precludes us for asking for help as we know best. Unfortunately it is the students who suffer from sub-standard education. How will we compete with other Asean countries when Asean comes into effect?
Simple answer is that we won't!! Our young people will be disadvantaged from getting well paid jobs & Thailand will remain a country of rice farmers.
Very sad!
- Discussion 13 : 04/10/2012 at 08:31 PM
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Better Engliah language capabilities would help, without a doubt.
- Discussion 14 : 04/10/2012 at 07:34 PM
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I hope Thailand dose produce better results in the future However it is a long way the ladder.The writer has done his best to sound positive.
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