Both French- and Dutch-speaking universities have risen in the QS World University Rankings 2024, a ranking of the best universities worldwide.
The Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), which in most rankings usually scores the highest or second-highest place among Belgian universities, has risen 15 places in the 20th edition of the international university rankings published by global higher education specialist Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
This places the higher education school in 61st place, its best result so far, it announced on Tuesday evening. The increase is mainly due to strong scores for the indicator 'International Research Network,' for which it was ranked sixth place worldwide. KU Leuven said this field has been a top priority in recent years.
The university's 'Academic Reputation' and 'Citations' also contributed to the higher score. KU Leuven, which came under fire alongside other Belgian universities for its response to sexual harassment claims in recent months, is the only university in Belgium to be placed in the top 100.
How have other Belgian universities ranked?
Ghent University follows KU Leuven in 159th place, down from 143rd last year. The VUB in Brussels, in 259th place, has dropped eight places – less of a drop than UHasselt, which has fallen 102 places to 551st.
However, two thirds of Belgian universities in the world ranking, including all French-speaking universities, have moved up. UCLouvain is ranked 180th (up from 195th last year) and ULB in Brussels is ranked 189th (up from 210th). UAntwerpen has risen from 280th to 248th place, while ULiège has moved up from the 521-530th category to 421st place.
"Belgian universities show promising progress in the QS World University Rankings 2024, with an exceptionally collaborative research programme and notable progress in attracting international professors," QS vice-president Ben Sowter said.
"However, there is room for improvement, particularly in terms of reputation with employers and sustainability. Belgium should focus on improving its global reputation with employers through industry partnerships, internships and work experience opportunities."
Related News
- Tougher measures needed against student hazing rituals, says DéFI
- KU Leuven accused of concealing truth about student hazing death
The QS World University Rankings have been published since 2004 and are compiled based on nine indicators, of which three new indicators (Employment Outcomes, International Research Network, and Sustainability) were added this year.
The top ten is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Stanford University, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, National University of Singapore (NUS), UC London and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB).
