Down Under on top: Queensland the place to be

Sun-soaked scholars at the University of Queensland in Brisbane have been identified as enjoying the best working environment in the global academy.

The Australian university tops a league table of the best academic workplaces outside the US, while Princeton University is number one in the American ranking.

In second place in the global list is the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, followed by the University of Dundee in Scotland.

The rankings were compiled by the journal The Scientist, and are based on a poll of about 2,300 international academics.

The scholars were asked to rate their institutions according to 38 criteria, such as pay, job satisfaction and research resources.

The highest-ranked institution in continental Europe (and seventh overall) is the National Institute for Agricultural Research in France, while two Canadian institutions - the University of Alberta, Edmonton and Dalhousie University in Halifax - also made the top 10.

Peter Downes, vice-chancellor of Dundee, the highest-ranked British university, said its lofty position was "a reflection of our great strengths as an international centre of excellence in life sciences and medical research".

john.gill@tsleducation.com

Read the lists in full here.

WISH YOU WORKED HERE?

Best academic workplaces as voted by a poll of approximately 2,300 international academics

TOP FIVE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

1. University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia

2. Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel

3. University of Dundee Dundee, UK

4. John Innes Centre Norwich, UK

5. Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel

TOP FIVE US INSTITUTIONS

1. Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey

2. St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, Tennessee

3. Van Andel Research Institute Grand Rapids, Michigan

4. J. David Gladstone Institutes San Francisco, California

5. Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Ardmore, Oklahoma