Since opening its doors in 1963, Newcastle University has not only welcomed a variety of innovative and intelligent academics, students and research projects but also countless awards, high rankings and prestigious commendations. From being a founding member of the Russell Group to being awarded a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold, the University has continuously received both national and international acclaim, and now it can boast an increase from 175th to joint 171st in The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2018-2019.
Arguably, Newcastle has had a bumpy road in its performance in the THE Rankings, with a dramatic drop from 152st in 2011 down to 201-225th in 2015, but over the last four years it has started to claw its way back up. This year has seen a climb of four places up from its 2017 ranking at 175th.
The announcement of Newcastle University’s position in the Rankings on 26th September was met with delight by the University,
Professor Chris Day, President and Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University, reacted to the news, saying “We are proud that our internationally excellent research and teaching across all of our three faculties continue to be ranked so highly in this influential ranking.”
Professor Chris Day described the Rankings as being a sign of the success of his ‘five-year £500m programme of investment’.
The announcement was made amid suggestions that the University is aiming for more outstanding awards this year including University of the Year. This prospective investment would add to the University’s already impressive portfolio of recent developments and expansions; it has added 400 more members of academic staff to its faculties, new state-of-the-art accommodation, a Sport and Exercise Science degree programme and a School of Pharmacy which opened in 2017.
Professor Chris Day described his pride that the “internationally excellent research and teaching across all...three faculties continue to be ranked.”
Newcastle University continues to climb the ladder of success whilst valuing its students and their educations. Unsurprisingly, they continue to rate highly for student satisfaction with a score of 4.01/5.00, which is even higher among international students. These statistics exemplify the open nature of the university which not only welcomes and educates students but also provides them with an environment which stimulates both learning and personal development through the opportunities offered by the Students’ Union.
For all these reasons and more, Newcastle University is seeing an increase in its global reputation and prestige and is set to achieve the further international commendation that many believe it deserves. The University must wait until 2019 to see whether its steady increase in the THE Rankings is sustained.