Opinion | Could China be ready to overtake the US as the world’s leading scientific powerhouse?
- With American universities on the slide, the country that is investing more in research is poised to reap the benefits, writes John Glynn
From scanning the heavens for extraterrestrial life to developing innovative weaponry, the importance of scientific research cannot be overstated. Obviously, for scientific progress to occur, quality education is key.
The countries with the best universities and research facilities stand the best chance of making breakthrough discoveries. So, with this being said, is there one specific country that holds the key to scientific progress?
Well, if the latest QS World University Rankings are anything to go by, it’s not the United States.
According to the 16th edition of the list, the US higher education system has recorded its worst performance in 16 years and its rate of decline appears to be accelerating.
The rankings, produced by global higher education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds, list the world’s top universities based on academic reputation, graduate employability, student-staff ratio, research performance and internationalisation.
More than 72 per cent of the US’s 157 ranked universities have deteriorated in rank. Furthermore, the US also recorded its lowest number of top-100 universities (29) since 2016 and four fewer than last year.