For the second consecutive year, the Andalusian university system has improved its global position in the prestigious ranking of Shanghai (‘Academic Ranking of World Universities – ARWU’). In 2019 it placed six of its eleven universities (10 public and one private) with the incorporation of the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) and in this latest update, corresponding to 2020, the region manages to add the University of Cadiz (UCA).
The UCA is the most recent addition to this renowned list, considered one of the most reliable and transparent in the world in terms of methodology and results, which was created in 2003 to help Chinese students and researchers choose a destination abroad.
Of the 1,000 institutions listed by ARWU, seven are Andalusian: the University of Granada (UGR), the University of Seville (US), the University of Cordoba (UCO), the University of Jaen (UJA), the University of Malaga (UMA), the UPO and the UCA. Only the UGR and the US are included in the Top 500, in the 201-300, and 401-500 ranges each. This is the result of a report prepared last April by the Regional Ministry of Universities of the Government of Andalusia.
Since 2009, the Shanghai ranking has also included a classification by scientific areas or specialities (ARWU-FIELD), in which the institutions are classified into 54 subjects within five major fields: natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences, and social sciences.
In this type of analysis, the University of Granada continues in the 2020 edition, with five specialities among the world’s scientific elite: Documentation (from 36th to 32nd place); Food Science and Technology (from 37th to 36th place); Mathematics (ranking 76-100th); Mineral Engineering (76-100th); and Tourism (76-100th).
