{"text":[[{"start":8.15,"text":"Chinese universities are catching up with UK and US institutions whose competitive edge is being eroded by crackdowns on international students, according to a leading global ranking. "}],[{"start":18.85,"text":"While Britain and the US retained their grip on the global top 10, with MIT first and Imperial College London second, rivals in Asia are gaining on their mid-ranked institutions, the QS World University Rankings found. Oxford and Cambridge remain fourth and sixth respectively, with Harvard in between."}],[{"start":38.95,"text":"Overall, Britain has 93 institutions in the top 1,504, one more than last year, while China has 85, up 13 from last year. The US has the most at 184, down from a peak of 201 in 2023. "}],[{"start":56.7,"text":"Sixty-five per cent of US institutions slipped down the rankings of global institutions and Britain saw a 40 per cent fall, while China experienced a 61 per cent rise up the rankings."}],[{"start":68.10000000000001,"text":"Jessica Turner, QS chief executive, said Britain “remains one of the world’s great higher education powers” but warned: “Dominance should never be confused with permanence.” "}],[{"start":78.75000000000001,"text":"She added: “Maintaining leadership will depend on the ability to keep attracting talent, generating innovation and remaining open to the world.”"}],[{"start":87.75000000000001,"text":"The ranking of British universities was affected by the decline in international students after the government banned taught master’s students from bringing in dependants and announced a cut in the length of time graduates will be able to work in Britain. "}],[{"start":101.60000000000001,"text":"QS warned that as fewer overseas students also hurt university finances, Britain’s position could worsen if other countries became more attractive. Meanwhile, Australia and Canada have also recently introduced caps on international students. "}],[{"start":116.4,"text":"New international student enrolment fell 17 per cent in the US last autumn after the Trump administration began a mass programme of revoking and rejecting visas. "}],[{"start":127,"text":"“For decades the United States was the default destination for the world’s most talented students and researchers. What the data shows is that this advantage is becoming more contested,” Turner said."}],[{"start":139.15,"text":"While Chinese universities struggled to break into the top 10 given they remain less international than western counterparts, QS argued that they are improving rapidly and becoming an increasing threat."}],[{"start":150.4,"text":"Mainland China has three universities in the top 30, compared to four in Britain and 11 in the US. Within the top 200, it has 10 institutions compared to 28 in the UK and 38 in the US."}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":166.20000000000002,"text":"Broader metrics around patents, publications in prestigious academic journals and citations also point to the rise in influence of Chinese universities, which have received substantial funding from the government in recent years, notably in science, engineering and health."}],[{"start":182.3,"text":"A number of Russell Group institutions slipped in the rankings, including Southampton university, down 24 places to 111, and the London School of Economics, down six places to 62, after a previous six-place fall the year before. "}],[{"start":197.9,"text":"QS has faced criticism over opacity, potential commercial conflicts and its methodology, such as heavy reliance on subjective metrics. This includes a 30 per cent weighting for “academic reputation”, based on a survey of researchers’ perceptions of their competitors, and a further 15 per cent derived from employers’ views. "}],[{"start":217.9,"text":"However, the rankings are closely watched by prospective students and vice-chancellors, who are quick to cite their institutions’ performance when they score highly. "}],[{"start":226.55,"text":"Vivienne Stern, chief executive for Universities UK, said the rankings “demonstrate the sheer breadth and diversity of the UK’s world-leading universities”."}],[{"start":236.15,"text":"“The UK can be proud of its universities, and their strength is a reason to be optimistic about the future of our country in a competitive and contested age,” she added."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":254.85,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781757650_5656.mp3"}