Russia makes progress in science subject rankings

View the results in full:

THE World University Rankings 2020 by subject: clinical, pre-clinical and health

THE World University Rankings 2020 by subject: life sciences

THE World University Rankings 2020 by subject: physical sciences

THE World University Rankings 2020 by subject: psychology

Five Russian universities have reached world top 100 positions in Times Higher Education’s latest series of subject rankings.

The achievement was confirmed as THE released the final batch of its 11 global subject rankings for 2020.

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and Lomonosov Moscow State University both feature in the top 100 of the 2020 THE ranking for physical sciences, published today, at joint 45th and joint 81st positions respectively.

MIPT also joined the top 100 of the computer science ranking this year, alongside ITMO University, while the Higher School of Economics and Kazan Federal University made their debuts in the top 100 of the business and economics and education rankings respectively. Lomonosov Moscow State University also remained in the top 100 of the arts and humanities ranking.

The country’s rise comes six years after the official start of its Project 5-100 – a programme aimed at developing Russia’s universities to enable five institutions to reach the world top 100 by 2020. The five universities that have reached the top 100 in specific subject areas include four members of the project alongside Lomonosov Moscow State University, the national flagship institution that is not part of the scheme.

However, no Russian universities feature in the top 100 of the overall World University Rankings. Lomonosov Moscow State is the highest at joint 189th place.

Alongside the physical sciences ranking, THE's subject rankings for clinical, pre-clinical and health; life sciences; and psychology have also been updated for 2020.

The University of Cambridge tops the life sciences ranking for the first time under the current methodology (since 2011), knocking Harvard University down to second place.

Meanwhile, the University of Toronto has joined the top 10 of the clinical ranking, after climbing seven places to sixth, while the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and University of British Columbia join the top 10 of the psychology ranking in eighth and 10th place respectively.

The four subject rankings are based on the same metrics as the overall THE World University Rankings, but the weightings are different.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com