University of Oregon receives record $1 billion gift for new engineering college
Phil and Penny Knight have pledged $1 billion to the University of Oregon to establish a new College of Engineering, in what the university says is the largest gift ever made to a comprehensive public university. The proposed college will be based at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and will train engineers and applied scientists in bioengineering and other high-demand fields. The university said the investment will expand engineering education, help attract faculty and researchers, and strengthen its ability to translate scientific discoveries into products, therapies, technologies and new companies. “This is a scale that is genuinely hard to take in,” University of Oregon president Karl Scholz said, noting the Knights’ long-standing support for the university. The latest commitment follows two previous $500 million gifts from the Knights, in 2016 and 2021, which established and expanded the Knight Campus. Those investments subsequently attracted additional support from state and industry partners, foundations and other donors. Since its creation, the Knight Campus has established the university’s first engineering department and graduated the first engineers in the university’s history. It now has 17 research laboratories involving more than 500 students and trainees each year. The campus has also reported strong outcomes for its graduate programmes. Around 40% of its graduate students have won National Science Foundation fellowships, compared with a national average of about 15%, while its master’s internship programme has recorded graduation and placement rates above 90%. The campus has also developed an entrepreneurship ecosystem through incubator laboratories, corporate partnerships and access to capital. It has supported more than a dozen student- and faculty-led startups, including Penderia Technologies, VivoTex and restor3D. The proposed College of Engineering will build on this infrastructure while adopting an interdisciplinary model. Bioengineering will combine engineering with basic sciences, data science and medicine, while students will receive training in communication, entrepreneurship and ethics alongside technical subjects. Innovation will also be incorporated into faculty tenure and promotion criteria, according to the university. Bob Guldberg, vice-president and executive director of the Knight Campus, said the proposed college would extend the campus’s original focus on translating university research into real-world applications. The investment comes amid growing demand for engineering talent across sectors including biotechnology, semiconductors, life sciences, advanced materials, manufacturing, sports performance and artificial intelligence. A 2026 report from the US National Science Foundation and Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations is projected to grow at three times the rate of other occupations, with science and engineering among the fastest-growing fields. Oregon expects about 2,500 engineering job openings each year, according to the university, while employers report that engineering positions are among the hardest roles to fill. The state is also a major semiconductor hub, accounting for nearly one-tenth of the US semiconductor workforce. However, Oregon trains fewer workers for the sector relative to the size of its semiconductor industry than other major semiconductor states, the university said. The University of Oregon estimates that it contributes $3.7 billion annually to the state economy. The Knight Campus accounted for more than $160 million of that impact in fiscal year 2024, before the opening of its second building. The university will establish the new college and its degree programmes through the appropriate state and shared-governance processes. The proposal forms part of the university’s Oregon Rising strategic plan, which aims to strengthen distinctive research areas, prepare students for high-demand careers and increase the impact of research on the state. The Knights’ latest gift continues a relationship with the University of Oregon spanning more than five decades. Phil Knight, who graduated from the university before co-founding Nike, and Penny Knight have supported a range of university initiatives, including the Knight Law Center, Knight Library, endowed professorships and the Knight Campus.
WorldHE NS Watch: MIT Leads a Strong Week for Global University NS Output
Against the backdrop of intensifying global competition in scientific research, publication output in Nature and Science has become one of the key benchmarks for assessing universities’ capacity for original innovation and their international academic influence. WorldHE continuously tracks the latest and rolling 12-month Nature and Science publication data from universities worldwide, providing a dynamic view of the shifting global higher education and research landscape. Click here to access the complete university NS publication data. Global University NS Publications: September 14–20, 2026Global university output in Nature and Science remained steady last week, with a total of 37 universities publishing NS papers. The United States accounted for 13 of these universities, followed by China Mainland with 8. Both remained well ahead of other countries and regions, while the United Kingdom contributed 4 universities, underscoring the continued strength of these major research powers. Top research universities delivered particularly strong NS output last week. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which recently overtook Princeton University to claim the No. 1 spot in the 2027 U.S. News Best National Universities rankings after Princeton had held the position for 15 consecutive years, published three Nature papers and one Science paper. MIT was listed as both the first-author and corresponding-author institution on all three Nature papers. The research covered frontier biomedical fields including 2D/3D medical image registration, genome engineering, and pathogen genomic epidemiology, highlighting MIT’s strong research activity in these areas. Four U.S. universities — Harvard University, University of Washington Seattle, University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University — each published three NS papers. Five universities — Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Jilin University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and Zhejiang University — each published two NS papers. Two of these institutions are from China Mainland. Global University NS Rankings: September 20, 2025–September 20, 2026Over the rolling 12-month period, 64 universities worldwide have published at least 10 papers in Nature or Science, underscoring the increasingly intense competition for high-impact research. The composition of the global Top 10 shifted noticeably this period, with five universities from the United States, three from China Mainland, and two from the United Kingdom. Harvard University continues to lead the global rankings by a wide margin, with 140 NS papers, including 92 in Nature and 48 in Science. Harvard ranks first among all universities in publication output in both journals. MIT also remains above the 100-paper mark, with 108 papers, ranking second globally. Stanford University follows with 91 papers. Together, Harvard, MIT, and Stanford form a firmly established elite research cluster at the 100-paper level and above. The University of California, Berkeley ranks fourth with 66 NS papers. While its overall output trails the top three, Berkeley is the only university in the global Top 10 to publish more Science papers (35) than Nature papers (31). The University of Cambridge overtakes the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences by one paper to rank fifth globally, making Cambridge the highest-ranked non-U.S. university. The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences ranks sixth with 54 papers. Peking University remains in seventh place with 47 papers. The University of California, San Francisco moves ahead of Tsinghua University with 41 papers, taking eighth place, while Tsinghua ranks ninth with 40. The University of Oxford returns to the global Top 10 with 36 papers, edging out UCLA to claim the final spot. Click here to access the complete university NS publication data. MethodologyFor Nature, only publications classified as Article and Review Article were included. For Science, the analysis includes Research Article, Special-Issue Research Article, and Review. Only the physically affiliated first author was counted as the first author. All corresponding-author affiliations were included, with each affiliated institution counted once. If the first-author institution and the corresponding-author institution were the same, the publication was counted only once for that institution. Only formally published articles were included in the analysis. Advance online publications and papers in pre-publication status were excluded.
MIT overtakes Princeton to top 2027 U.S. News National Universities rankings
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has overtaken Princeton University to claim the top spot in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities rankings, marking a notable change at the top of the annual league table. Princeton, which has held the No. 1 position in recent years, ranks second this year, while Harvard University is ranked third and Yale University fourth. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Stanford University are tied for fifth. Caltech recorded one of the largest gains among the leading institutions, rising six places from last year. The University of Pennsylvania ranks seventh, followed by Duke University in eighth. Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago are tied for ninth. Columbia University and Dartmouth College share 12th place, while Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Cornell University are tied at 14th. CMU also climbed six places compared with last year. Brown University, Rice University, Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis are tied for 16th, while the University of California, Berkeley, UCLA and the University of Notre Dame share 20th place. The latest rankings show substantial movement beyond the top 20. Wake Forest University recorded the largest rise among the institutions highlighted by U.S. News, climbing 17 places. Villanova University moved up 15 places, while Boston University rose eight places. Meanwhile, the University of Maryland and the University of Washington each fell seven places, while the University of Georgia dropped six places. Earnings by major added as a new ranking measureThe National Universities category covers institutions offering a broad range of undergraduate programmes as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. Many of the universities included place a strong emphasis on research and attract students from across the US and internationally. This year’s rankings also introduce a new Earnings by Major factor, alongside changes to category eligibility and the addition of new specialty and value rankings. The new measure uses data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard to assess the earnings of employed students four years after graduation. It focuses on students who received federal financial aid and whose highest qualification is a bachelor’s degree. According to U.S. News, the measure is intended to provide a more direct assessment of post-graduation economic outcomes while reducing the influence of pre-existing financial resources and family networks. The new factor replaces the Graduate Indebtedness measure, which U.S. News said relied on federal data that had not been updated for several years and whose future availability was uncertain. The change reflects growing interest among prospective students and families in the economic value of higher education, with earnings after graduation becoming an increasingly prominent consideration in discussions about college affordability and return on investment.
UCLA raises $746 million in philanthropy to support students, research and healthcare
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) received $746 million in philanthropic donations during the 2025–26 academic year, with funding supporting student scholarships, research, industry partnerships and healthcare initiatives across the university. The university received 67,096 gifts during the fiscal year, with contributions coming from all 50 US states and 65 countries. While UCLA secured 19 individual gifts of $5 million or more, 93% of donations were below $10,000, highlighting the breadth of its donor base. The fundraising figures were released during Chancellor Julio Frenk’s first full academic year at UCLA, as the university develops his “One UCLA” vision, which places emphasis on collaboration across education, research and public service. “This reflects confidence in our mission, trust in our institution and a shared commitment to the future we are building,” Frenk said. Student support and scholarshipsStudent financial support remained a major focus of philanthropic giving. Donors established 122 new scholarships and fellowships during the year, including a $4.2 million bequest from the estate of Gertrude Pomish, a former public school teacher. The gift will expand the existing Gertrude T. Pomish Scholarship Fund, increasing both the number of recipients and the value of individual awards. UCLA also reported that its annual Bruin Giving Day campaign in April attracted more than 3,400 donors and raised more than $2.6 million. Research and industry partnershipsResearch and faculty support accounted for 68% of UCLA’s fundraising during the fiscal year, with donations supporting programmes and research across the university. One of the largest research-related initiatives was a $125 million Semiconductor Hub launched by the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering in partnership with major technology companies including Broadcom, Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, Meta and Synopsys. The initiative contributed to a 65% increase in corporate giving compared with the previous year, according to UCLA. The university also received 13 gifts to establish new endowed faculty chairs. Among them was a $5 million gift from Kenneth C. Griffin to support research and initiatives in fusion science and engineering, while a $2 million gift established the Nancy and Leslie Abell Family Chair in Employment and Labor Law at UCLA School of Law. The growing role of industry-supported research reflects a wider trend among research-intensive universities to develop partnerships with companies in strategically important fields, including semiconductors, advanced technologies and clean energy. Major investments in healthcareHealthcare and biomedical research were another major area of philanthropic support. Laurie and Steven C. Gordon and their family foundation committed $20 million to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to support renovations and expand critical and acute care capacity. The investment is expected to increase the number of beds for adults and children requiring such care by 23%. A further $31 million commitment from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg and their research foundation will support the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Research Park, with funding directed towards biomedical research, laboratory infrastructure and the development of future research leaders. Mental health also emerged as a significant area of investment. Stewart and Lynda Resnick donated $100 million to expand mental and behavioural health services at UCLA Health and support completion of the UCLA Resnick Mental Health Campus in Los Angeles. UCLA said the gift represents the largest single donation to mental healthcare in the history of UCLA Health. The university also received a $33 million award from Ballmer Group to expand its work in youth mental health across Los Angeles. The funding will support academic and clinical training, increase the pipeline of mental health professionals and expand access to services. The initiative brings together expertise from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA College, where the funding has supported the establishment of a Youth Behavioral Health Chair. “UCLA is grateful for the tremendous dedication and vision of our donors and volunteers,” said Rhea Turteltaub, UCLA’s vice chancellor for external affairs. “The mission-driven philanthropy in our community positions UCLA for an exciting and bold future.” The scale and diversity of UCLA’s fundraising during 2025–26 underscore the growing role of philanthropy in supporting major university priorities, from student access and faculty development to research infrastructure, industry collaboration and healthcare delivery.
China’s research rise puts talent and international collaboration at centre of next phase, NSFC chief says
China’s growing contribution to high-impact research reflects the country’s expanding pool of research talent and increasing investment in science, according to Dou Xiankang, president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Speaking at the sixth New Cornerstone 50² Forum, held by the New Cornerstone Science Foundation in Shenzhen on 19 September, Dou outlined the current state of Chinese science and the reforms planned by the country’s main funding agency for basic and applied fundamental research. China’s growing presence in top journalsDou said that while individual papers are not sufficient to measure the strength of a country’s research system, publication patterns in leading journals can provide a useful indicator when considered at scale. He cited data from the first half of 2026 showing that researchers in China accounted for around 20% of papers published in Cell, Nature and Science — collectively known as the CNS journals. When looking only at papers for which the final corresponding author was based in China, the proportion was approximately 20%, compared with around 47% for the United States, according to figures presented by Dou. However, he said the picture changes when the contribution of Chinese researchers working in international research teams is taken into account. Among CNS papers with a US-based final corresponding author, Chinese researchers accounted for 39% of first or co-first authors. When papers with final corresponding authors based in Germany, the UK and Japan were also included, the proportion of papers with a Chinese first or co-first author rose to about 45%. Using a broader measure of major contributors, Dou put the figure at approximately 56%. Taken together, he argued, the figures suggest that Chinese researchers are now closely connected to a substantial share of the world’s highest-profile scientific research. Talent at the centre of research breakthroughsFor Dou, the key question is what will determine China’s next phase of scientific development. “The source of breakthroughs in scientific research is talent,” he said, arguing that China’s future research performance will depend increasingly on its ability to stimulate the creativity and initiative of its most innovative researchers. He pointed to several developments underpinning China’s growing research capacity, including rapid economic growth, increased investment in science and research, more flexible research policies, the expansion of high-level academic staff at universities, and improvements in scientific infrastructure and instrumentation. China has also seen a substantial increase in the number of internationally trained researchers returning to the country. Dou said that, by last year, the number of Chinese students going overseas to study and those returning had reached a dynamic balance — a development he described as evidence of the country’s growing scientific and economic strength. Data presented by Dou also pointed to the growing scale of China’s active research community. The number of active researchers publishing in leading international journals surpassed that of the US in 2021, he said, and is now around seven times the level in Japan. Dou also highlighted the age profile of highly cited researchers. In China, researchers aged over 55 accounted for 44% of the group, those aged 40 to 55 for 47%, and those under 40 for 9%, a distribution he described as comparatively healthy among major research systems. The figures form part of a broader shift in China’s research system towards greater support for younger scientists. NSFC shifts funding towards early-career researchersDou outlined a series of reforms at the NSFC, which has become one of China’s principal funding bodies for basic research, applied fundamental research and frontier interdisciplinary research following reforms to the country’s national research system. Funding has increasingly shifted towards younger researchers. According to Dou, almost 90% of NSFC-funded projects this year are led by early-career researchers, while researchers under the age of 45 account for around 75% of total funding. The NSFC has also expanded its Young Scientists Fund (Category C), which is designed to provide early-career researchers with an initial opportunity to establish an independent research programme. An additional RMB36 billion has been allocated to the programme this year, supporting 12,046 more projects and representing an increase of more than 50%, Dou said. A further reform introduced this year creates a separate track within the Young Scientists Fund Category A for researchers under 35, or women under 38. The first cohort includes 44 researchers. Dou said the selected researchers would receive support under a “5+5+5” model, with funding designed to provide longer-term continuity. “We do not conduct any short-cycle target assessment. We assess only one thing: whether you are in the laboratory,” he said. The approach reflects an attempt to give promising young researchers greater time and flexibility to pursue high-risk or longer-term research, rather than subjecting them to frequent short-term performance assessments. Expanding international research collaborationDou also highlighted the NSFC’s efforts to expand its international funding and research partnerships. In addition to supporting collaboration between Chinese and overseas researchers, the foundation is seeking to attract international doctoral students to China. “We hope that students from technologically advanced Western countries, particularly those studying the natural sciences, will be able to come to China to complete their PhDs,” Dou said. The NSFC and China’s Ministry of Education are jointly working on the initiative, he added, expressing confidence that it would produce further results in the near future. The proposals reflect a broader effort to position China not only as a major source of scientific research and talent, but also as a destination for international researchers and doctoral students.
Good University Guide 2027: St Andrews Takes No. 1 as Imperial Climbs Three Places
LONDON, Sept. 18, 2026 — The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027 has been published, ranking 130 universities across a range of measures including student satisfaction, student experience, graduate employment prospects and continuation rates. The University of St Andrews has taken the top spot, rising one place from last year. The university performed particularly strongly on teaching quality, student experience and entry standards. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) fell from first place to second. Imperial College London recorded the biggest rise among the top five, climbing three places to third and moving ahead of both the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. Imperial performed particularly strongly on research quality and graduate prospects. The University of Cambridge retained its fourth-place position, with a particularly strong continuation rate. The University of Oxford slipped one place to fifth, while recording strong results for the proportion of graduates achieving first-class or upper second-class degrees (Firsts/2:1s). These five institutions make up the top five of the Good University Guide 2027. The remaining universities in the top 10 are Durham University, the University of Warwick, the University of Bath, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Bristol. How the Good University Guide Ranks UniversitiesThe Times and The Sunday Times have published university guides since 1993 and 1998, respectively. Since 2013, the two publications have produced the combined Good University Guide, providing a comprehensive guide to higher education in Britain across print and digital platforms, including The Times, The Sunday Times and thetimes.com. The rankings are based on a range of measures covering student satisfaction with teaching quality and the wider student experience, entry standards, research quality, sustainability and graduate prospects. Since 2018, the guide has also included social inclusion rankings for universities in England and Wales, alongside a separate table for Scottish universities. These rankings assess measures designed to reflect the diversity of universities' student intakes and their subsequent outcomes. The 2027 edition provides a snapshot of how UK universities perform across student experience, academic standards, research and graduate outcomes, while highlighting significant movement among the country's leading institutions.
Clarivate Names 22 Citation Laureates for 2026
LONDON, Sept. 17, 2026 — Clarivate has announced its 2026 Citation Laureates, recognizing 22 researchers whose highly influential work spans physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry and economics. Selected by experts at Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), the Citation Laureates are recognized for pioneering contributions considered to be of Nobel stature and for research that has helped shape the future of science and society. Since the program was established in 2002, 89 Citation Laureates have subsequently received Nobel Prizes, making the recognition a closely watched indicator of research that may later receive the world's highest scientific honors. Clarivate’s selection combines citation analysis with expert assessment of researchers whose work has demonstrated exceptional influence within their fields. The 2026 laureates are affiliated with leading institutions across seven countries and regions. Sixteen are based in the United States, while Canada, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Mainland China and Switzerland each have one laureate. Physiology or MedicineDaniel J. Drucker — Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, Canada; Jens Juul Holst — University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Svetlana Mojsov — Rockefeller University, United States, were recognized for the identification and characterization of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and studies of its biological activity. James G. Fujimoto and Eric A. Swanson — Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and David Huang — Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, United States, were recognized for the development of optical coherence tomography, an imaging technology used in medicine and biomedical research. Timothy A. Springer — Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, United States, was recognized for identifying key adhesion receptors in the immune system. PhysicsChihaya Adachi — Kyushu University, Japan; Stephen R. Forrest — University of Michigan, United States; and Mark E. Thompson — University of Southern California, United States, were recognized for pioneering research on phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), contributing to highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes. Nicola A. Spaldin — ETH Zurich, Switzerland, was recognized for theoretical work leading to the development of room-temperature magnetoelectric multiferroics, opening new possibilities for energy-efficient electronic devices. Qikun Xue — Southern University of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University, Mainland China, was recognized for the experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. ChemistryDavid L. Allara — Pennsylvania State University; Ralph G. Nuzzo — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Jacob Sagiv — Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, were recognized for the development of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Harry B. Gray and Jay R. Winkler — California Institute of Technology, United States, were recognized for advancing understanding of long-range electron transfer in proteins. David R. Liu — Harvard University, Broad Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, United States, was recognized for developing base editing and prime editing, precision gene-editing technologies that can directly modify DNA in living systems and have opened new possibilities for programmable medicines. EconomicsSusan C. Athey — Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and Hal R. Varian — University of California, Berkeley, United States, were recognized for pioneering research on the economics of information technology. Michael D. Woodford — Columbia University, United States, was recognized for contributions to the theory and practice of monetary policy. Sidney G. Winter — The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, United States, was recognized for research on economic dynamism and organizational behavior inspired by evolutionary theory. A Global Cohort of Highly Cited ResearchersThe 2026 Citation Laureates represent a broad range of institutions and research traditions, while their work addresses areas with significant implications for medicine, technology, energy efficiency, genetics and the global economy. The cohort includes researchers behind foundational advances in GLP-1 biology, optical imaging, immune-system receptors, OLED technology, quantum physics, self-assembled materials, precision gene editing, information economics and monetary policy. Clarivate’s Citation Laureates program is based on highly cited research identified through the Web of Science Core Collection, combined with expert analysis from ISI. Clarivate says the program has identified more than 450 laureates since its inception, with 89 subsequently receiving Nobel Prizes.
University of York opens Mumbai campus with inaugural cohort
The University of York has opened its first campus in India, welcoming an inaugural cohort of students as the UK university expands its international teaching and research presence. The University of York Mumbai has enrolled its first students across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in computer science with artificial intelligence and cyber security, business, and the creative industries. The launch follows a two-week induction programme over the summer and marks the latest development in India’s efforts to attract leading international universities through reforms enabling foreign institutions to establish campuses in the country. The opening was attended by students and academic staff, representatives from local business and industry, and senior leaders from the University of York and its Mumbai campus, including Professor Ken Badcock, Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of York, and Professor Lindsay Oades, Provost of the University of York Mumbai. Research focus on global challengesResearch is set to form a central part of the Mumbai campus, with the university identifying food security, environmental change and future technologies among its initial areas of focus. The university has also announced a new research and policy institute in Mumbai, which will examine major global challenges including artificial intelligence, urbanisation and climate change. The institute is intended to strengthen connections between researchers in Mumbai and York, while creating opportunities for collaboration with industry, policymakers and other external partners. Professor Ken Badcock said the opening was the result of collaboration between teams in India and the UK, as well as the university’s international partners. “Today marks a major milestone,” he said. “The launch of University of York Mumbai is the result of dedication and collaboration from our teams in India and the UK, our global partners, and the vibrant city of Mumbai itself.” He said the campus would contribute to India’s ambition to strengthen its position as a destination for international higher education. Connecting the Mumbai and York research communitiesThe university is also positioning the new campus as a platform for closer academic and industry links between India and the UK. Professor Bob Doherty, Director of Research at the University of York Mumbai, and Professor Benjamin Poore, from the University’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies, have begun secondments to Mumbai. Their work will include developing industry partnerships, research projects, public events and student learning opportunities. Further secondments, joint research programmes and collaboration in teaching and learning are expected to be developed between the two campuses over the coming months. Professor Lindsay Oades said the university’s aim was to give students opportunities to develop skills relevant to rapidly changing industries while maintaining an international perspective. “We aim to empower students to thrive in evolving industries by nurturing enquiring minds with a global outlook,” he said. He added that collaboration with local partners and researchers in both Mumbai and York would help students develop entrepreneurial and creative approaches to complex global challenges. The opening also drew support from UK representatives in India. Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India at the British Council, said the campus would give students in India access to a UK university education without requiring them to study overseas. Harjinder Kang, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, said the University of York would bring its teaching and research strengths to India. “Education lies at the heart of UK-India Vision 2035 and our shared commitment to nurture the next generation of global talent,” he said. The University of York Mumbai is part of a wider expansion of international higher education provision in India, as regulatory changes create new opportunities for overseas universities to establish a direct presence in the country.
WorldHE NS Watch: China Mainland Universities Show Strong NS Output Last Week
Against the backdrop of intensifying global competition in scientific research, publication output in Nature and Science has become one of the key benchmarks for assessing universities’ capacity for original innovation and their international academic influence. WorldHE continuously tracks the latest and rolling 12-month Nature and Science publication data from universities worldwide, providing a dynamic view of the shifting global higher education and research landscape. Click here to access the complete university NS publication data. Global University NS Publications: September 7–13, 2026Global university output in Nature and Science remained relatively stable last week, with a total of 33 universities publishing NS papers. The United States accounted for 11 of these universities, followed by China Mainland with 6. Both remained well ahead of other countries and regions, while the United Kingdom contributed 4 universities, underscoring the continued strength of these major research powers. Five universities — Peking University, the University of Oxford, Westlake University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences — each published two NS papers. Notably, three of these five universities are from China Mainland, highlighting the strong research output of leading Chinese universities. Global University NS Rankings: September 13, 2025–September 13, 2026Over the rolling 12-month period, 64 universities worldwide published at least 10 papers in Nature or Science, down by one from the previous period, reflecting the increasingly competitive landscape for high-impact research. The global Top 10 maintained the same country distribution, with six universities from the United States, three from China Mainland, and one from the United Kingdom. Harvard University’s total output fell below 140 papers, but it continued to lead the global rankings by a wide margin with 139 NS papers, including 93 in Nature and 46 in Science. Harvard ranks first among all universities in publication output in both journals. MIT also remains above the 100-paper mark, with 107 papers, ranking second globally. Stanford University follows with 92 papers. Together, Harvard, MIT, and Stanford form an elite research cluster at the 100-paper level and above. The University of California, Berkeley ranks fourth with 67 NS papers. While its overall output trails the top three, Berkeley is the only university in the global Top 10 to publish more Science papers (35) than Nature papers (32). The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Mainland, ranks fifth globally with 54 papers, making it the highest-ranked non-U.S. university. The University of Cambridge ranks sixth with 53 papers and is the only UK university in the global Top 10. Peking University ranks seventh with 46 papers, followed by Tsinghua University in eighth place. Two universities in the University of California system — UC San Francisco and UCLA — round out the Top 10 with 39 and 36 papers, respectively. Click here to access the complete university NS publication data. MethodologyFor Nature, only publications classified as Article and Review Article were included. For Science, the analysis includes Research Article, Special-Issue Research Article, and Review. Only the physically affiliated first author was counted as the first author. All corresponding-author affiliations were included, with each affiliated institution counted once. If the first-author institution and the corresponding-author institution were the same, the publication was counted only once for that institution. Only formally published articles were included in the analysis. Advance online publications and papers in pre-publication status were excluded. Further ReadingWorldHE NS Watch: Harvard, MIT and Stanford Lead Global Nature and Science Output in August Global Nature and Science Leaders, H1 2026
Oxford Tops Guardian University Guide 2027 as Cambridge Climbs to Second
The Guardian University Guide 2027 has been published, ranking UK universities based on factors that matter most to students. The guide is designed to assess aspects of university performance that are particularly relevant to the student experience. Its overall ranking draws on eight measures, including teaching and assessment satisfaction, student-to-staff ratios, spending per student, continuation rates, entry standards, value added and graduate career prospects. Oxford Retains No. 1 PositionThe University of Oxford has retained the No. 1 position in the 2027 ranking, maintaining the top spot it held in 2026. The University of Cambridge climbed from third to second, while the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) moved up from fourth to third. The University of St Andrews, which ranked second in 2026, fell to fourth place, while Imperial College London rose from sixth to fifth. These five universities make up the top five of the Guardian University Guide 2027. The remaining institutions in the top 10 are Durham University, the University of Warwick, the University of Bath, Loughborough University and the University of the Arts London. Oxford Leads 11 Subject RankingsThe Guardian University Guide 2027 also ranks universities across individual subject areas. Among the five universities in the overall top five, Oxford recorded the strongest performance at subject level, ranking No. 1 in 11 subjects: Anthropology and archaeologyMathematicsLanguages and linguisticsPhilosophyChemistryPhysicsEarth and marine sciencesEconomicsGeographyBusiness and managementEnglishCambridge ranked first in 10 subjects: Chemical engineeringClassics and ancient historyEducationGeneral engineeringSociology and social policyPoliticsConstruction, surveying and planningMusicBiologyPsychologyLSE ranked first in two subjects: International relations and Law. St Andrews topped four subjects: History, History of art, Theology and religious studies, and Media and film studies. Imperial College London ranked first in four subjects: Medicine, Computer science and information systems, Mechanical engineering, and Aerospace engineering. Overall, the 2027 rankings highlight both the continued strength of the UK's leading universities and their differing areas of subject-level strength.
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