Stellenbosch University is making inroads into global research. For the third consecutive year the international citations to its research across multi-disciplines have increased markedly according to the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2020 that World University Rankings for 2020 that was released on 11 September in Zurich during the THE World Summit.
SU improved in 2020 on the indicators of teaching, research, citations and international outlook compared to last year. The most important improvement was on the citation score, which is 13% up on the previous period. This is the third year in a row in which SU has improved on this indicator.
The University has improved its overall position in the Times Higher Education WUR from 301–350 to 251–300, occupying the third spot among leading universities in South Africa – after University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand. This places Stellenbosch University in the top 1% of universities globally.
“With our vision of being a leading research-intensive university, this is of particular importance for us. It also underscores one of Stellenbosch University’s core strategic themes namely, Research for Impact,” says Vice Chancellor and Rector, Prof Wim de Villiers.
Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Strategy and Internationalisation at SU, says this result is a demonstration of the impact of SU’s research world-wide and the recognition afforded to the calibre and stature of its researchers.
“At SU we are cognizant of the importance of rankings in the overall perceptions of an institution’s academic and research standing. Our focus, though, is on academic and research excellence that will shape a better world for all. It is hugely gratifying when we gain international recognition in our quest to deliver solutions to societal problems through world class research and scientific programmes,” says Prof Klopper.