ASIA: Asian techies rising in the ranks

Asian universities with close ties to industry are catching up to U.S. universities in scientific innovation, according to a detailed analysis of academic papers and patent filings.

The Reuters Top 100 survey, published in September 2015, showed the top nine places for innovative universities taken by U.S. schools, with Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University ranking first, second and third, respectively. Asian universities are climbing up the list, however. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology ranked 10th, while Imperial College London was the highest-ranked European university in 11th place.

Asian universities are a growing force in scientific innovation and have proved particularly adept at turning this into products, with South Korea — home to rising tech giants such as Samsung — scoring high in patent approvals. South Korea has eight schools in the top 100, while Japan has nine — more than all other countries except the United States.

China, however, had only one entry on the list: Tsinghua University, ranked 72nd.

The Reuters survey analyzed 10 different measures, based on the volume and impact of scientific research, the volume and success of patent filings, and the use of cited discoveries in the academic and corporate worlds.

Reuters