Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has made it to the world's top 100 for the first time for its output of sterling science research papers.
It went up more than 140 places to finish 73rd globally in an index released on Thursday by the prestigious Nature Publishing Group, which publishes journals covering mainly the physical, chemical and life sciences.
The Nature Publishing Index measures the output of articles in all the group's 18 research journals and is an indication of an institution's strength in high-quality research.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) also did better. It was 46th globally last year, up from 74th in 2012.
In the Asia-Pacific, NTU was 12th last year, up from 35th in 2012, while NUS went from ninth in 2012 to sixth last year.
NTU said in a statement that an increase in the number of papers published was a "key factor" in its rise. NTU had 37 articles published last year, more than double the 14 in 2012. Half of these were led by NTU researchers. NUS had 62 articles published last year, up from 47 in 2012.
NTU president Bertil Andersson said: "With our outstanding faculty, researchers and even young professors... I am proud that NTU scores so highly in this measure of research impact."
Meanwhile, NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan said the university's rise in the index was "recognition of the impact and quality" of its research.
Another local institution made the Asia-Pacific top 200 list. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) was 19th.
The Nature Publishing Index Asia-Pacific 2013 supplement, published along with the new ranking, called NUS, NTU and A*Star "significant players on the world stage, holding their own against counterparts in much larger countries".
The index ranks institutions by "corrected count", which considers factors such as the number of affiliated institutions per author.
China's Chinese Academy of Sciences topped the Asia-Pacific with 165 articles. Harvard University of the US retained top spot globally with 387 articles.
Priscilla Goy
