SINGAPORE - University dons have ranked the National University of Singapore (NUS) 24th in a list of the world's top tertiary institutions in the latest Times Higher Education reputation survey.
The university took the same spot in the annual poll last year.
However, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) slipped from the 51st to 60th bracket. It now shares the 61st to 70th band with nine institutions, including the University of Sydney and University of Manchester.
This year's rankings, published on Wednesday (Oct 27), were formulated based on 150,000 votes cast by 10,963 academics.
They were invited by Times Higher Education - a British-based higher education consultancy - to give their input on universities that they deem to have the best reputation for research and teaching.
A total of 202 universities were ranked in the survey this year.
The top 10 positions went to traditional powerhouses from the United States and Britain.
Harvard University retained its top spot, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology again coming in second.
The University of Oxford climbed two places from last year to the third spot, having played a key role in developing a Covid-19 vaccine with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, said Times Higher Education in a statement.
In Asia, Tsinghua University jumped to the 10th place for the first time, while Peking University rose to 15th.
In response to queries, a spokesman for NTU said the university, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has come to be recognised as one of the world's leading universities alongside institutions that are decades if not centuries older.
It has done so, he added, in a "remarkably short space of time".
He said NTU has been making gains in recent years in another survey done by Times Higher Education, called the World University Rankings.
In September, it climbed one spot to 46th position in overall rankings, he added.
The spokesman also said NTU has had a strong showing in many global league tables that assess universities.
An NUS spokesman said the university is pleased that it continues to be recognised among the world's top 25 universities.
She said: "We will continue to press on in our efforts to build broad-based excellence across education, research and entrepreneurship, especially in areas that are of strategic importance to Singapore."
Mr Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at Times Higher Education, said mainland China's breakthrough into the top 10 may signal a shift in the balance of power in global higher education in the coming years - as the country becomes a more attractive proposition for academics and students.
"This could not only cause issues for the likes of the US and UK in terms of attracting talent, but also in terms of funding and prestige on the world stage," he added.
Clarification note: An earlier version of this report stated that NTU slipped 10 places in the ranking. It has been updated to clarify that NTU slipped to a lower band.
