High performance in five dimensions
Freiburg, Sep 03, 2020
The “Times Higher Education World University Ranking” (THE-Ranking) 2020/21 has been once again released. In an international comparison, the University of Freiburg ranks 83rd (previous year 86th), and nationwide it ranks fifth among comprehensive universities. The ranking assesses more than 1,500 universities worldwide, including 48 from Germany. It evaluates the performance of universities in the dimensions of teaching, research, publications, technology transfer and internationalization.
Photo: Harald Neumann
In the latest THE ranking, the University of Freiburg is ranked 83rd worldwide, an improvement of three places compared to the previous year: "The University of Freiburg has a clear research profile, which makes it internationally attractive and a recognized institution," summarizes Rector Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Schiewer. "We can be proud that the University of Freiburg has now permanently established itself among the 100 best universities in the world". In 2012, Freiburg was still ranked 189. "The current THE ranking also confirms Freiburg's firm place in the top group of German universities, which we have held for years in all relevant rankings," said Schiewer. Among the German full universities, the University of Freiburg ranks among the top five.
Doctorates, publications, third-party funding
In a global comparison, the University of Freiburg is one of the top performers in terms of the number of doctoral theses, publications and the success of its researchers to garner third-party funding. It is also considered a leader in technology transfer, which is due in part to its numerous patent applications. A particularly strong development can be seen in the number of citations of Freiburg research publications. The proportion of scientists who have come to Freiburg to teach and do research from abroad has also increased considerably compared to the previous year, which has contributed to a positive overall assessment.
The THE ranking is based, among other things, on a worldwide survey of more than 20,000 scientists and on the citation frequency of publications. It also takes into account statistical indicators such as the proportion of international students and the ratio of teachers to students. The evaluation of individual subjects has not yet been published.