University climbs to record high inside the top 50 modern universities in the world

Plymouth University is now ranked inside the top 50 global modern universities according to the most comprehensive league table of its kind, released yesterday (Wednesday).

In the Times Higher Education ‘100 Under 50’, Plymouth is placed at 42 – up 11 places from 2013 – of those universities under the age of 50. Only 14 UK universities are in the list, with Plymouth the 6th highest, and the top-rated of any post-1992 university in the country.

The news was revealed at the British Council-hosted Going Global 2014 event in Miami, which has brought together more than 1,000 delegates, 250 speakers and 50 exhibitors from higher and further education sectors to discuss the future of global higher education.

As part of the event, Times Higher Education invited Plymouth to co-host its inaugural Global Young Universities Summit, chaired by Plymouth University’s Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor, who also delivered a keynote speech on the role of distinctiveness and brand in a competitive global market.

Reflecting on the rise of Plymouth in the league table, Professor Purcell said: “Older is better they say about wine, and they used to say that about universities too. But the emergence of an ambitious group of world-class universities is changing that perception.

“Plymouth, along with other members of this modern global elite, is formulating ways to stand out so that we can succeed in an increasingly competitive global market. It’s about moving from self-interest to public service, becoming less ‘ivory tower’ and more connected, inclusive, distinct and successful on the global stage.”

It is the second year in succession that Plymouth has climbed the 100 Under 50 list, and has now scaled 18 places since it debuted in 2012.

Phil Baty, THE Editor-at-Large, said: “The academy’s traditional, ancient elite should be warned – many of the exciting young universities on this forward-looking list do not see their youth as a disadvantage in the global knowledge economy. While they may not have had centuries to accumulate wealth and cannot draw on generations of alumni and rich traditions of scholarship to drive their reputations, they are free from the burdens of history: free to be more agile, lean, flexible and risk-taking, giving them an advantage in a rapidly changing global marketplace; free to offer innovative teaching and focus their research on niche, high-impact areas.

“The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 shows clearly that exciting new powers are emerging in the global academy and the old guard cannot afford to rest on their laurels.”

In her speech at the Young Universities Summit, Professor Purcell explained how Plymouth’s enterprise mission has developed, and highlighted the beneficial effect it has had upon teaching and research at the institution, and crucially the regional community as a university ‘connected to people and place’ in its mission to advance knowledge and transform lives though education and research.

The full rankings are available here.