Executive Education

World’s 50 Most International Universities, 2017 Ranking

ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich has been named the world’s most international university by the Times Higher Education (THE), a new measure based on the number of overseas students and staff and the strength of cross-border research collaborations and international reputations.

At a time of great uncertainty for the British economy, the list shows how important international students and staff are to the UK’s higher elite universities.

Countries which welcome talented international students and staff with open arms would see their universities strengthen, the report also warns that the standing of U.K. universities is under threat from U.K. immigration policy.

The UK Government’s refusal to remove international students from its net immigration targets has left universities increasingly concerned about their ability to attract students and academics from abroad.

Reports last month emerged that the UK Home Office was considering cutting the number of international students by half in a bid to reduce immigration numbers.

The globalization of higher education means universities increasingly rely on their ability to attract talent from around the world to maintain and enhance their reputations.

Switzerland’s two federal technology universities ETH Zurich (1st) and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (2nd) claimed the top two places, followed by the University of Hong Kong (third), and the National University of Singapore (forth).

Half of the top ten was dominated by British universities, including Imperial College London (fifth), University of Oxford (sixth), University of Cambridge (eighth) and University College London (ninth) and the London School of Economics and Political Science in tenth place. Australian National University was ranked the seventh most international university in the world.

The world’s 50 most international universities, 2017 Ranking

RankInstitutionCountry
1ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ZurichSwitzerland
2École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneSwitzerland
3University of Hong KongHong Kong
4National University of SingaporeSingapore
5Imperial College LondonUK
6University of OxfordUK
7Australian National UniversityAustralia
8University of CambridgeUK
9University College LondonUK
10London School of Economics and Political ScienceUK
11King’s College LondonUK
12University of British ColumbiaCanada
13University of EdinburghUK
14University of New South WalesAustralia
15University of ZurichSwitzerland
16École PolytechniqueFrance
17University of WarwickUK
18University of MelbourneAustralia
19University of GlasgowUK
20University of ManchesterUK
21Monash UniversityAustralia
22Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUS
23McGill UniversityCanada
24University of SydneyAustralia
25University of AucklandNew Zealand
26Durham UniversityUK
27Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong
28University of YorkUK
29University of BristolUK
30University of CopenhagenDenmark
31University of AlbertaCanada
32University of TorontoCanada
33Harvard UniversityUS
34University of WaterlooCanada
35Aarhus UniversityDenmark
36Stanford UniversityUS
37Princeton UniversityUS
38University of AmsterdamNetherlands
39Columbia UniversityUS
40KU LeuvenBelgium
41Georgia Institute of TechnologyUS
42École Normale SupérieureFrance
43Pierre and Marie Curie UniversityFrance
44Free University of BerlinGermany
45Johns Hopkins UniversityUS
46Purdue UniversityUS
47University of StrasbourgFrance
48University of BonnGermany
49Humboldt University of BerlinGermany
50University of ChicagoUS

Photo: ETH Zurich

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Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj
Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj is a media and technology executive, macro-economist, strategic thinker, chair, and chief executive officer of the CEOWORLD magazine, one of the world’s most influential and recognized global news publications. Under Dr. Amarendra's leadership, CEOWORLD magazine has become the world's most iconic news organization, whose rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of business leaders daily. Additionally, he serves as the chair and founding member of the CEOWORLD magazine’s Inclusion Advisory Board.

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He received his Ph.D. in Finance and Banking from the European Global School, Paris, France. He also received his Doctoral Degree in Chartered Accountancy from the European International University Paris, France, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD), Ukraine. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and his master’s degree in Chartered Accountancy (CA) from European Global School Paris. Dr. Amarendra also holds a Master of Business Administration degree in International Relations and Affairs from the American University of Athens, Alabama, United States.

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Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj is the CHAIR, CEO, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR of the CEOWORLD magazine. Connect with him through LinkedIn.