Indian universities shifting focus to research and development

🇩🇪 Top Universities in Germany According to ShanghaiRanking (ARWU 2025) 🎓 Germany continues to strengthen its global academic presence, standing out for its strong research culture, scientific impact, and international collaboration. The ARWU 2025 highlights German institutions that lead in innovation, quality of research, and academic excellence. 🔹 Main Criteria: • Alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes or Fields Medals. • Highly Cited Researchers (Clarivate). • Publications in Nature and Science. • Papers indexed in Web of Science (SCIE & SSCI). • Per capita academic performance. 📊 Weights: Alumni 10% │ Award 20% │ HiCi 20% │ N&S 20% │ PUB 20% │ PCP 10% TOP 1 - 40: 1️⃣ Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München 2️⃣ Technical University of Munich 3️⃣ Heidelberg University 4️⃣ Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn 5️⃣ Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg 6️⃣ Goethe University Frankfurt 6️⃣ Universität zu Köln 6️⃣ Georg-August-Universität Göttingen 6️⃣ Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz 6️⃣ University of Muenster 6️⃣ University of Tuebingen 1️⃣2️⃣ Technische Universität Dresden 1️⃣2️⃣ University of Düsseldorf 1️⃣2️⃣ Kiel University of Applied Sciences 1️⃣2️⃣ Ruhr University Bochum 1️⃣2️⃣ RWTH Aachen University 1️⃣2️⃣ Technische Universität Berlin 1️⃣2️⃣ FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg 1️⃣2️⃣ University of Hamburg 1️⃣2️⃣ Leipzig University 1️⃣2️⃣ Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg 2️⃣2️⃣ Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) 2️⃣2️⃣ University of Duisburg-Essen 2️⃣2️⃣ The Philipp University of Marburg 2️⃣2️⃣ University of Potsdam 2️⃣2️⃣ University of Stuttgart 2️⃣2️⃣ Universität Ulm 2️⃣8️⃣ Medizinische Hochschule Hannover 2️⃣8️⃣ Leibniz Universität Hannover 2️⃣8️⃣ Universität des Saarlandes 2️⃣8️⃣ Technische Universität Darmstadt 2️⃣8️⃣ University of Bayreuth 2️⃣8️⃣ Friedrich Schiller University Jena 2️⃣8️⃣ University of Konstanz 2️⃣8️⃣ University of Regensburg 3️⃣6️⃣ University of Bremen 3️⃣6️⃣ Justus Liebig University Giessen 3️⃣6️⃣ The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg 3️⃣6️⃣ Universität Rostock 3️⃣6️⃣ Technische Universität Braunschweig German universities remain at the forefront of global research, reinforcing Germany’s role as a hub of scientific excellence and innovation. #ARWU #ShanghaiRanking #Germany #HigherEducation #Research #Universities #Science #Innovation #AcademicExcellence #WorldRanking

Is Academic Research Becoming Too Competitive? Nature’s latest analysis reveals that the competition for top European research grants is intensifying. This year, record-breaking numbers of submissions have flooded #HorizonEurope program, while overall budgets remain largely unchanged. As a result, success rates are dropping below 10% in many schemes. Thousands of highly qualified researchers are competing for the same limited funding opportunities, making academic career more challenging than ever, particularly for early-stage researchers. 👉 Compared to last year, in 2025: - EIC Pathfinder Open: +86.5% proposals - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships: +64.6% proposals - ERC Starting Grants: +22.4% proposals 👉 My recommendations to address these challenges: 1) Substantial budget increases are essential, especially if the European Commission hopes to attract more talent through the Choose Europe initiative. 2) Implement a two-stage modality, with a short proposal in the first stage, to prevent researchers from spending excessive time on full proposals unlikely to be funded. 3) Restrict resubmission, so proposals scoring below defined thresholds are not repeatedly entered into competition without significant improvement. 4) Clarify selection criteria for proposals that receive maximum scores but are not awarded. Transparency is key to maintaining trust in the process. 🧭 Europe has the talent and ambition. Now it needs the support to lead in #science and #technology. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e-p7pFHf. #Research #Innovation #Funding #Grants #AcademicCareers #SciencePolicy

🎯 Switzerland’s University Rankings in Focus: Comparing Methodologies and Databases University ranking systems such as ARWU, THE, QS, and CWUR evaluate scientific productivity, impact, and visibility using diverse methodologies and data sources — leading to significant variations in outcomes. 🔍 The AD Scientific Index distinguishes itself with a bottom-up, real-time evaluation model based on individual scientist data, providing transparent and continuously updated insights into institutional academic performance. 📈 In Switzerland, these differences mainly arise from the choice of databases (e.g., Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science) and the weighting strategies used by each ranking system. 🌎 This study is part of a comprehensive comparative analysis covering 1,131 universities across 31 countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, Albania, Iceland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Greece, Romania, Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, Thailand, Chile, Egypt, Czechia, Türkiye, Denmark, and Argentina. Its primary goal is to demonstrate how methodological diversity and database selection shape national ranking outcomes and influence scientific visibility. 💬 Discussion Points 1️⃣ How do you evaluate the accuracy, inclusiveness, and transparency of the AD Scientific Index methodology compared to other global university ranking systems? 2️⃣ Which ranking systems include your university, and how accurately do they reflect your institution’s real academic performance and impact? 3️⃣ How has the choice of data source influenced the outcomes of these rankings? 🔗 www.adscientificindex.com ETH Zürich EPFL University of Zurich Université de Lausanne Universität Bern Université de Genève University of Basel Université de Fribourg/Universität Freiburg USI Università della Svizzera italiana @Universität Saint Gallen Université de Neuchâtel ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

A recent Nature article reports record numbers of applications to European research grants in 2025, with success rates now approaching lottery levels. In one of the calls, only 1.7% of proposals were funded. Key figures: - Marie Skladowska-Curie Actions: 17,000+ applications (+65% vs 2024), success rate <10% - ERC Starting Grants: +13% applications, success rate down to 12% - ERC Advanced Grants: +82% vs 2023, funding rate now 8% - UKRI: applications doubled since 2017, success rate down from 36% to 19% Similar pressure is seen in academic hiring: for a single lectureship tens or hundreds highly-qualified candidates apply. This is about both funding scarcity *and* structural design. Funding is increasingly channeled into PhD and postdoc positions because doctoral and postdoctoral researchers drive publications and REF outputs at relatively low cost (though the relative cost and quality of a paper produced by an established scientist versus a PhD student is rarely computed). But the number of stable positions and funded grants hasn’t scaled accordingly. This creates hypercompetition, low success rates, and administrative overload for senior academics — pulling them away from the research that originally motivated them. A structural bottleneck at the PhD stage could align intake with actual academic capacity, reduce administrative burdens, and let senior researchers focus on doing science again. Otherwise, we risk turning academic research into a stochastic career path, where talent is trained and then forced out, often overqualified, and both early-career and established researchers have little opportunity to pursue the work they joined academia for. https://lnkd.in/ezP4uGha #AcademicResearch #PhD #Postdoc #EarlyCareerResearchers #ResearchFunding #ResearchPolicy #ScienceFunding #HigherEducation

Students of my methods of research classes will recollect two things, reiterated in this debate: 1. Difficulties in arriving at an index involving data at various scales and of different types. 2. Importance of reproducibility for accepting a claim as scientific knowledge. “Nathalie Drach-Temam, president of the Sorbonne, stated that: “the data used to assess each university’s performance is not open or transparent” and “the reproducibility of the results produced cannot be guaranteed”.”

https://lnkd.in/dtyiBBY4 "Applications for the 2025 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships exceeded 17,000 — an increase of nearly 65% compared with 2024. The MSCA scheme has a proposed budget of €404.3 million (US$471 million) to fund around 1,650 projects, and the success rate (the proportion of awards granted) is expected to drop below 10%, down from nearly 17% last year. The European Research Council (ERC), Europe’s premier funding agency for basic research, has reported similar surges in applications across its schemes. For its Starting Grants — open to early-career researchers with two to seven years of experience after completing a PhD — the ERC has received 13% more proposals so far compared with 2024. Only 12% will be funded, down from 14% last year." #academicresearch #Europe #EU #grants

*The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Demonstrates Research Excellence and Growing Global Reputation in QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026* The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) has been ranked 434th in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, and an impressive 111th in South Asia, solidifying its position among the continent’s leading institutions. This ranking is announced amidst an unprecedented expansion of the index, which saw 550 new entrants from across the region, making the 2026 edition the most competitive in the ranking’s history. The university’s performance confirms the strategic success of its focus on high-impact research, quality teaching, and global recognition. IUB achieved robust and impressive scores across multiple key QS indicators, including: *International Research Network (IRN):* IUB secured a remarkable rank of 144th in Asia in this metric, achieving an exceptionally high score of 92.8. This result reflects the successful efforts to establish robust, meaningful research partnerships across the globe. *Citations per Paper (CPP):* The university maintained a formidable standing in research impact with a strong score of 72.9. *Papers per Faculty (PPF):* Demonstrating high and growing faculty productivity, IUB achieved a significant score of 14.6. *Academic Reputation (AR):* The university's global standing continues to grow, securing a strong score of 26.5. *Employer Reputation (ER):* Reflecting the quality of its graduates and their acceptance in the job market, IUB achieved a score of 26.2. The university demonstrated significant gains in the perception-based metrics, reflecting the improved quality of its teaching, research, and graduates. The Academic Reputation score improved sharply from 19.4 in 2025 to 26.5 in 2026, while the Employer Reputation score saw a notable jump from 21.7 in 2025 to 26.2 in 2026. This consistent improvement underscores the growing trust and recognition IUB holds within the international academic community and among key employers in the region. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, praised the collective commitment of the institution. “Our continued presence in the QS Asia Rankings, especially the exceptional showing in the core research indicators, is a testament to the strategic investments we have made in faculty development and infrastructure,” stated Prof. Dr. Kamran. Prof. Dr. Asadullah Madni, Director Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC), highlighted the data-driven approach IUB is taking to ensure future elevation. “The QS ranking fact file confirms that our research trajectory is strong and impactful. Our primary focus must now pivot to strategically address indicators that offer the greatest leverage for an even higher rank. This data clearly identifies key areas for strategic improvement,” commented Prof. Dr. Asadullah Madni.

Nature examines whether academic research is becoming too competitive, and the data tells a concerning story. Applications for European research grants surged in 2025. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships saw a 65% increase in applications, with success rates expected to drop below 10%. ERC Starting and Advanced Grants also reported significant rises. UK Research and Innovation applications have nearly doubled since 2017-18, with success rates halving. I believe that the cuts to science budgets and political instability in the US are prompting researchers to seek opportunities in Europe. Its less about research being "too" competitive—it's about funding being funneled away from the US. https://lnkd.in/dg9fhQnh #Research #AcademicFunding #SciencePolicy #ERC #MSCA

This year, the EU funding agency has received the highest number of proposals in its four-decade history, with no increase in budget. As Nature Magazine reports, success rates are plunging: https://lnkd.in/eQapb9zb Pushing this trend there is a culture of assessing a researcher’s success by how much money they attract. This metric benefits universities and research institutions, which rely on the overheads that grants bring. But let’s not forget: this is not a metric that drives better, more efficient science. If we wanted to globally maximise scientific output and creative innovation, we would measure what a researcher achieves with every euro/pound/dollar they receive, which would controversially put research income in the denominator, not the numerator of the success metric.

Wise words from Ricardo Grau-Crespo. Moreover, lower success rates also mean that more and more researchers spend a lot of their precious time writing research proposals that are ultimately rejected, leading to less time available for actively engaging in research, student supervision/mentoring etc.