UCSF Ranked Ninth Among Top Global Universities

Using standards that measure a university's openness and diversity, as well as distinction in research, Newsweek International has ranked UCSF ninth among the top 100 global universities. Two other Bay Area universities, Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, finished second and fifth, respectively, giving the region three finishers among the world's top 10. Harvard finished first. The rankings were based on a blend of criteria used by the Times of London Higher Education Survey and those developed by Shanghai Jiaotong University, both of which publish similar lists. The criteria included everything from the number of highly cited researchers in various academic fields to the percentage of international students. The Newsweek editors stated that "universities have become instruments of national competition as well as instruments of peace. They are the locus of the scientific discoveries that move economies forward, and the primary means of educating the talent required to obtain and maintain competitive advantage." In an increasingly dangerous and fragmented world, universities also have become key instruments of mutual understanding and geopolitical stability, says the study's authors. News of the ranking ricocheted across the UCSF campus, triggering a cascade of reactions. "We are very proud of UCSF's global impact," said David Kessler, MD, vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our faculty and students not only take their work around the world, but UCSF classrooms, clinics and laboratories welcome students, researchers and patients from every continent. This is essential if we are going to be able to prevent and treat the diseases that most affect human health." Former UCSF Chancellor and now Executive Director of UCSF Global Health Sciences Haile Debas, MD, was equally pleased. "It is striking that UCSF should be rated ninth among the global universities. After all, we are only a health sciences campus and lack all the other undergraduate, graduate and professional schools [that other ranked institutions possess]. It simply means we do extraordinarily well the things we do, especially in biomedical research." School of Pharmacy Dean Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, considered the ranking a validation of both UCSF science and its scientists. "Clearly, the faculty's exceptional work in the common language of science has much to do with this ranking. So, too, is the faculty's commitment to the health of people everywhere. The public we now serve is increasingly a global public, and this ranking is one measure of our success." "I think the rankings are an accurate reflection of new global realities," said Charles Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc, dean of the UCSF School of Dentistry. "Changes in the traditional perception of elite organizations are bound to change in an era of instantaneous communication, enhanced diversity and responsiveness to global needs. I think the rankings simply reflect what we at UCSF have sensed for a long time." John Greenspan, BDS, PhD, director of UCSF's AIDS Research Institute, was ecstatic. "Wow! Exciting! Apart from the specific grading systems and additional criteria listed, I see this as affirmation of UCSF's contributions in biotechnology, emerging and cutting-edge science - such as molecular genetics, stem cell science, neuroscience - and our enormous international prestige in AIDS, cancer, diabetes and lots of others. Not to mention being the top nursing, pharmacy and dental school campus in the world!" "The recognition is gratifying, yet not surprising, given the commitment of our faculty, students, scholars and staff to global health," says Janet Thelen Lockwood, UCSF director of Services to International Students and Scholars. "UCSF is built on a foundation of cross-cultural exchange." Sound Off: Are you surprised that UCSF was ranked ninth? Why or why not? Visit our comments section and let us know what you think about these rankings and UCSF's placement. Related Links: The Complete List: The Top 100 Global Universities Newsweek International Edition, August 2006 "UCSF's Global Status Attracts Foreign Students and Scholars" UCSF Today, August 25, 2006