DU, NSU secure spots in top 200 of THE Asia University Rankings 2023

Dhaka University (DU) and North South University (NSU) have secured spots in the top 200 of the prestigious Times Higher Education's (THE) Asia University Rankings-2023.

The rankings, which encompassed 669 universities from 31 territories, placed DU at 186th and NSU at 192nd.

DU's performance allowed it to advance from the 251-300 band compared to the previous year, while NSU's made an appearance in the rankings for the first time, having not been ranked last year.

Also, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) performed well, being placed between 401 and 500 among Asian universities.

The evaluation process for THE Asia University Rankings 2023 involved the application of the same 13 performance metrics as THE World University Rankings. 

However, these metrics were adjusted to account for the unique characteristics of Asian institutions, as per the ranking website.

China's Tsinghua University and Peking University have once again secured the top two spots for the fourth consecutive year in the overall rankings. 

Notably, mainland China now boasts four universities in the top 10, an increase from three in the previous year. Hong Kong closely follows three universities in the top 10, with prominent institutions ascending in rank.

Japanese and South Korean universities experienced a downward shift in the table, while Japan maintains its position as the country with the highest number of represented institutions, with 117 universities included this year.

South Asian universities have reached a five-year peak in representation within the top 200 of THE Asia University Rankings. This year, the list includes 32 universities from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, surpassing both the figures from 2022 (24 institutions) and the pre-pandemic numbers in 2019 (25 institutions).

Pakistan's representation in the top 200 has seen a significant surge, with 10 universities making the list this year, compared to six in the previous year. India, historically a notable contributor to the rankings, experienced a modest increase, with 18 universities included this year compared to 17 last year.

In terms of regional progress, Iran demonstrated considerable improvement in this year's rankings. The country now claims 65 universities, up from 58 last year, with nine institutions securing positions within the top 100, an increase of three from the previous year.