Research excellence helps CDU rise in Times Higher Education Young University Ranking

Charles Darwin University (CDU) has made significant progress in the rankings of top universities established within the last 50 years.

In the latest 2023 rankings, CDU secured the 60th position, a substantial improvement from its previous ranking of 104th among universities worldwide established less than 50 years ago.

CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman credited this achievement to the transformative changes implemented at the university since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a strategy that strives for excellence in education and research, and I think the ranking reflects that focus,” Professor Bowman said.

“We are seeing major advancements in both areas, which not only attracts the best minds in research but also attracts students eager to learn.” 

CDU received a significant increase in research and citation scores that helped improve the ranking.

“We have always punched about our weight in research, and that is only due to the quality of the researchers we have here,” Professor Bowman said.

CDU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Steve Rogers said CDU has some of the nation’s top researchers in ecology, IT, health, energy, and indigenous research.

“We are not just talking about Australia’s best research. Our researchers have an international reputation,” Professor Rogers said. 

“The Young University Ranking is important because legacy has such a big impact on the other categories. This is more of a level playing field where excellence shines through.”    

CDU is in good company with Times Higher Education, acknowledging at the release of the figures on Monday that Australia outperformed the rest of the world with the highest average scores across the 23 institutions in Australia.

According to Times Higher Education, Australia’s universities beat Germany’s universities for the top spot.