French media: Number of top 500 universities in China exceeds that of the United States for the first time
Other than the war between Russia and Ukraine, the recently released Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University has also become a topic of interest for French media.
Shanghai Ranking: Chinese universities' competitiveness has significantly improved
Other than the war between Russia and Ukraine, the recently released Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, referred to as the Shanghai Ranking, has also become a topic of interest for French media. The Shanghai Ranking primarily selects universities based on six criteria, including the number of alumni or faculty who have won Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (the Nobel Prize of mathematics), the number of papers published in top journals such as Nature and Science, etc.
"Le Figaro" stated that France maintains its competitiveness in the Shanghai Ranking, while the competitiveness of Chinese universities is also increasing. Just like last year, four French universities are in the global top 100, ranking sixth globally along with Germany. The United States has 37 universities in the top 100, followed by China (15), the UK (8), Australia (5), and Switzerland (5). France has 8 universities in the top 200, and 18 in the top 500. According to a statement from the French Higher Education Agency, these results show that the policy of integrating universities over the past decade has been correct, which has enabled France to increase the number of universities in the ranking from 18 in 2003 to 27.
In addition, Chinese universities continue to make progress. Tsinghua University in Beijing has entered the global top 20 for the first time, ranking 18th, becoming the highest-ranked university in Asia. There are 244 Chinese universities in the global top 1,000, exceeding the number of American universities, remaining the same as last year; among them, 113 universities are in the top 500, and this year they have exceeded the United States for the first time.
"Le Figaro" believes that PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres) is often regarded as the best university in France on a global scale. However, it has shown a downward trend in this year's "Shanghai Ranking." But in the Times Higher Education Ranking and the QS World University Rankings, which are generally considered the most authoritative rankings, PSL usually ranks first in France, representing the "best university in France," which has raised many doubts.
Some critics say that the evaluation method of the Shanghai Ranking clearly favors well-funded universities. A dean of a Paris university criticized, "It is difficult to compare an Ivy League university with an annual tuition fee of up to 42,000 euros with a French public university with an average annual tuition fee of only 200 euros." However, the reference value of the Shanghai Ranking lies in providing direction for international students in choosing schools, and there is no doubt that the visibility of French higher education institutions internationally is significantly increasing.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840650666333184/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.