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Maastricht University in the top of world universities under fifty years of age

This week two prestigious rankings published their results in the top world universities under the age of 50. In both rankings, Maastricht University scores very high grades. Maastricht University has been identified as the emerging leading young research university in the Netherlands. This excellent position primarily is related to high scores on research impact and internationalisation.

Times Higher Education 100 under 50
The Times Higher Education Magazine published on 31 May 2012 the inaugural Times Higher Education 100 under 50. This new annual ranking, which is published in addition to the prestigious World University Rankings, lists the world’s best 100 universities under the age of 50 years. Maastricht University ranked 19, with Pohang University of Science and Technology (South Korea) in the 1st place. Maastricht University is the only Dutch university in this top hundred. In the overall THE World University Ranking published in 2011, Maastricht University was placed 197. The THE 100 Under 50 is based on the same rigorous and comprehensive range of 13 separate performance indicators used to compile the THE World University Rankings, covering all key elements of university performance: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and internationalisation. To better reflect the profile of younger institutions, the indicators have been carefully recalibrated, based on expert consultation.

QS ‘top 50 under 50’
The QS ‘top 50 under 50’ ranking was released on May 29, 2012. Maastricht University ranks number 8. This ranking is lead by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) (Hong Kong). Maastricht University is also the only Dutch university in this ranking. In the overall QS World University Ranking Maastricht University is positioned 109.

Future potential
These rankings offer a look at the future and which universities have the potential to become the future leading world universities. They show that heritage and reputation no longer have a monopoly on excellence. They show the potential diversity in excellence and offer an insight to alternative high quality places to study. Maastricht University already has been recognised by many students and their parents as one of these high quality universities because of our problem based approach to learning, internationalised English taught curricula and international population.

Being the youngest university in the Netherlands Maastricht University from its beginning had to be creative in finding its niche and position among the more established higher education institutions in the Netherlands. This pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit today still characterizes the Maastricht University mentality, as can be demonstrated by the prestigious projects such as our brain research and brain imaging projects and research facilities, including fMRI TESLA 9,3 and 7 scanner labs; and the further development of the Sciences at Maastricht University, especially in the area’s of the Life Sciences and the Biomaterials & Systems Biology.