In both business & education, an encouragement in thinking creatively and innovatively or in a different manner in a different track makes its position on the list of top companies globally or world’s most innovative universities in the world. In today’s competitive world, innovation and nurturing of unique ideas is the only key to stand aloof of the crowd and sustain the competition prevailing in the market.
Since World War II, most of the universities have engaged themselves mainly in converting the public funding into knowledge and products that help structure the economy. Keeping in mind the need for the knowledge how to identify an innovative university. The Reuters felt the need to make the investors, students, faculties aware of which universities are really adding to the transformation of science & technology and helping in the development of the economy.
Reuters thus engaged themselves in global university rankings and finding who marks their position as innovative. They framed a methodology employing 10 separate eligibility criterion. The methodology was based on papers that indicated research works in the particular university, patent filling indicating the university’s protection of its discoveries. The Reuters thus concluded with a list of top innovative universities which are briefed as below.
Most Prestigious Universities in the World:
The following mentioned are a list of few best and top universities in the world
1. Stanford University:
Situated in Stanford, CA, USA, the Stanford University tops the list of 100 most innovative universities in the world listed by Thomson Reuters. One of the World’s most prestigious institutions, Stanford University which is officially known as Leland Stanford Junior University is basically a private owned research university in California.
Former governor of US, Leland Stanford, founded this University in 1885 in the loved memory of his only child, Leland Stanford Jr. who died being affected by typhoid the previous year. The University has 40 separate departments under the three academic schools and also has 4 other professional schools. The university is a live nurturer of the alma mater of 30 present billionaires, many astronauts and Nobel laureates as well. This is one of the world’s best universities.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):
A private Institution founded in the year 1861, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts across the Charles River. The MIT university USA has a total of 4512 enrolments of Undergraduates. The MIT university was founded to meet the growing need of Industrialisation in US. The university has five schools and one college, with a total number of 32 different departments the university has reserved its rank in world’s most innovative universities.
The university of MIT marks its firm position in the fields of research and education in engineering and physical sciences. In the fields of biology, linguistics, economics and management, MIT recently adds feather to its hat. A count of 85 Nobel laureates, many recipients of National Medal of Science, number of Marshall Scholars, Mac Arthur Fellows and 34 astronauts are the proud alumni of this University. The company revenue from the MIT alumni clubs to world’s eleventh largest economy.
3. Harvard University:
A private research University situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US is the Harvard University. The University was established in the year 1636. One of the oldest university in the world for higher learning in the United States, The Harvard University was established by the Massachusetts legislature. With campuses spread throughout the Boston Metropolitan area, it boasts upon 11 separate departments, 10 faculties and an institute of advanced studies known as the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
The library of the university stands as the world’s largest library system with 79 independent libraries with over 18 million volumes. The alumni list of the Harvard University records a strong alumni group including eight US Presidents, near to 150 Nobel laureates, many foreign heads, billionaires, Rhodes & Marshall Scholars.
With a campus size of 5076 acres Harvard records a total enrolment of 6694 till date. The Business School and Medical School under the flagship of the Harvard University rank the world’s top schools in the respective disciplines. This is one of the best university in the world.
4. University of Maryland-Baltimore:
Often referred to as UMBC, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County is a very well renowned American Public University for Research and is located in the Baltimore, County, United States. The university makes its entry in the list of most innovative universities in the world with a recorded enrolment of around 14,000 students. It has over 50 undergraduate major disciplines and 60 graduate disciplines.
The different segments under the university are:
The College of Natural & Medical Sciences including the departments of Biology, Chemistry, geography, Biochemistry, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics and Physics. The Department of Marine Biotechnology also adds value to the university’s credit. The other two segments are the College of Engineering & Information Technology comprising of the Engineering departments & The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences comprising of the Arts & Social Science faculties.
5. University of Washington:
Situated in the west coast of the US, this institution ranks as one amongst the largest and very prestigious institutions in the US. The University was founded in the year 1861, in the city of Seattle as the Territorial University of Washington. The vivid campus of the university expands to 700 acre bordering the two lakes in Seattle. This campus comprises of 16 schools and colleges imparting undergraduate to doctorate education.
The University Medical School carries a distinct respect. The Alumni list of the University includes a number of Nobel laureates, medicine prize winner, Pulitzer Prize Winners; a renowned star in the list of alumni is the Martial artist Bruce Lee. Being a member of the Association of American Universities, its research budget ranges to the highest in the US. The University ranks 15th among the World’s 500 top universities.
6. University of Michigan:
The University of Michigan commonly known as Michigan is a research university based on public funding located at Ann Arbor, Michigan, US. It was founded in 1817 in Detroit as the University of Michigania. Moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 the University ranks the state’s oldest university with its Central Campus extending to 40 acres. Standing as one of the foremost universities of United States it has a very rich research contribution.
The University offers a vivid program list including Doctoral degrees in humanities, social sciences, in fields of Technology Engineering & Mathemetics. The faculty includes professional degrees as well in business, medicine, architecture, law, pharmacy, nursing, social work, public health. The University is one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities.
The University comprises of an alumni count of more than 500,000. In addition to this the university has produced alumni like US President Gerald Ford.
7. North western University:
The North western University, a private research university was founded in the year 1851 by nine founders with no land, limited funding and minimum knowledge in higher education. They nurtured the vision to create a university for the vast North western territory today covering over five states. Today it has its main campus extended to 240 acres offering 124 undergraduate and 145 graduate and professional degrees.
It was started with academic staff strength of two and ten students. Admission to female students was not open till 1869. Started from scratch, the university today stands as a leading private research university with strong interdisciplinary study culture and commitment towards superior teaching quality. With the main campus still based at Evanston, The University enjoys its extension of first satellite campus in Doha, Qatar since 2008.
Its alumni range from several Nobel laureates to economists, chemists and many more proud stars in the list.
8. Kyoto University:
A national university situated in Kyoto- Japan is second oldest university of the country. It also ranks as one of the highest ranked universities in entire Asia. The university has made its route to world’s most innovative universities by producing a large number of world-class researchers, Nobel laureates and Field Medallist’s as well. The uniqueness of the university is in its distinct approach to education and research.
They follow creativity and dialogues essential for producing unique research and discoveries. The university encompasses the state-of-the-art practical laboratories for imparting hands on experience to the students for enhanced knowledge in the field. The university includes a number of distinct faculties including Integrated Human Studies, Economics, Education, Laws, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture and many more.
9. Georgia Institute of Technology:
Commonly known as the Georgia Tech, The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public funded research university in Atlanta, Georgia, US. The Institute was established in 1885 as the Georgia School of Technology today expanding its satellite campuses to places like Savannah, Metz, France, Athlone, Ireland, Shanghai, Singapore and China.
Initially starting with the Mechanical engineering faculty, it slowly started to expand its wings from 1901 to electrical, civil, chemical engineering etc. The campus of the university flaunts over 400 acres in the heart of Atlanta imparting technologically focused education to more than 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students on a whole.
10. University of Tokyo:
Commonly known as Todai, the University of Tokyo is located in Bukyo, Tokyo, Japan. It is Research University with 10 faculties of study and a total of 30,000 students. The University extends its education in five different campuses in Hongo, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015 the University of Tokyo ranks highest in Asia.
Under its 10 faculties it has 15 Graduate schools and 11 research institutes contributing to a world class education. Among its notable alumni, University of Tokyo has 11 Nobel Prize and Field medal Winners and many notable scientists, mathematicians, physicists, psychologists. It counts to student strength of total 26,199.
11. University of Cambridge:
The University of Cambridge with its 800 year long history stands as the world’s fourth oldest university. Simply known as Cambridge, the university was established in the year 1209 in Cambridge, England. The most stunning fact about this university is its rich alumni group which includes 92 Nobel laureates, eminent mathematicians, scientists, politicians, lawyers. Serving more than 18, 000 students this university has a total strength of 4000 foreign nationals.
The University has 31 autonomous colleges, 6 schools of study and 150 faculties. The University also record 100 libraries with more than 15 million books.
12. Princeton University:
Regarded as one of world’s most illustrious universities the Princeton University was founded in the year 1746 as the College of New Jersey and lately in 1896 it got officially renamed as the Princeton University. One of world’s foremost research universities has produced alumni group consisting of 40 Nobel laureates, 17 national Medal of Science winners and 5 National Humanities Medal winner.
James Madison and Woodrow Wilson, the two notable US President add star to the alumni list of the Princeton University. Other notable graduates from this university are Michelle Obama and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
Conclusion:
To stay alive and run steady in today’s competitive world, every business, may it a company or an educational organization, it has to be innovative in its approach and techniques. The Global economy is alive on the oxygen supplied by the innovative organizations. Innovation is the mantra behind every advancement, better technologies, improved drugs, advanced health care systems.
With increased number of researches & discoveries in various fields, innovation has got a new dimension. Thomson Reuters thought of providing a limelight on the world’s most innovative universities that might help the prospective student community to select and get prepared for a particular university and join the group of innovators which in turn would add value to the global economy.
If followed properly one may notice that out of 100 innovative universities, half the list is from USA while the rest half is from the other parts of the world. The Universities in the list jotted by Reuters are the most innovative may it be in the top five or towards the end of the list.
The universities included in the list rank the most in contribution towards original research works, maximum economic development and creation of innovative technological advancements.
