(September 22, 2016) The British magazine “Times Higher Education” has just released the new rankings of the best universities, the “World University Ranking 2016”, which looks at 980 universities (there were 800 in 2015) distributed in 79 countries around the world. For Italy, compared with an increase of the universities of every size involved in ranking order (39 for the present, 34 were in the previous edition), the Scula Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, both in Pisa, confirm respectively the first and second position, gaining credit in the group of top 200 universities in the world. US and UK universities confirm their top positions, with Oxford, California Institute of Technology, Stanford in the first, second, and third place. The top ten positions are occupied by the most famous British and American universities, with a Swiss university (ETH Zurich). Beyond the 200th position among the Italian universities are: University of Bologna, Milan Polytechnic, University of Trento (all between the position 201 and 250); Free University of Bolzano and the University of Rome (both between 251 and 300). Follow the other Italian universities considered by the ranking. “In my opinion it is not about bragging with our colleagues of other universities – is the first statement of the Director-elect of the Scuola Normale Superiore, Vincenzo Barone, who will take office in the coming days – but to find the strength, all together, to revive the country. The Scuola Normale is an opportunity in this regard and I also hope that objective assessments such as the Times Higher Education may contribute to spread this message”. “Along with the Normale – said the dean of Sant’Anna, Pierdomenico Perata as soon as he heard the news – we maintain our positions in Italy, compared with an increase of the universities surveyed, confirming us in the top 200 worldwide. Italy is the European country with the least investment in research and yet our education and research system has proven to be competitive and, given the stringent requirements for admission, is already a positive news that the number of universities in our country considered by the ranking has increased. But it is equally clear that without a turnaround in funding for research and universities, following strict criteria of merit, Italy will be unable to prevent the decline of university education and scientific research. That will condemn our country to a future far from rosy, especially for the younger generations. ” (Red)
