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Harvard University has taken the top spot for the sixth consecutive year in this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings saw. Followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, have taken their positions in the top 4.
THE World Reputation Rankings was launched in the year 2011 and ranks world's most prestigious universities based on their global reputation. Just like every year, India continues to be one of the few nations not to have featured even once in the list.
Not even The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been able to be a part of that list and had set up a committee to look into improvement of their global reputation. However, according to the director of one of the older IITs, who did not wish to be quoted, there hasn't been much headway. India and South Africa are the only countries out of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations that have not been able to be a part of the 2016 list.
"We have been working on improving research and international linkages to enhance our global reputation as a brand. However, this will take some time and cannot be achieved overnight," the director said.
China led the BRICS nations in the World Reputation Rankings with five universities ranked this year. "Russia has three institutions in this year's ranking, up from two last year. However, the top two, Lomonosov Moscow State University (30th place) and Saint Petersburg State University (81-90 band) have both dropped since last year. Brazil's single entry has also dropped this year, with the University of São Paulo dropping from the 51-60th band to the 91-100th," said a Times Higher Education statement.
Commenting on the rankings, Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor, said, "Reputation is the global currency of higher education. It may be subjective, it may not always be fair, but it matters deeply. The clear lesson, in the sixth year of this annual list of the world's most prestigious universities, is that we have a firmly entrenched elite group of six global university super brands. The six, two from the East Coast of the US, two from the West Coast and two from the UK, have topped the list - standing head and shoulders above the rest of the pack - every year since we started back in 2011."
