The QS World University rankings for 2018 were announced very recently. It is always interesting to see some of the data regarding overall performance and assessment by the QS foundation. The latter uses their own algorithm and set of criteria to manage available bibliographical data (in collaboration with Elsevier as I read), thus producing a ranking list for several hundreds of universities around the World.
Regarding Physics I am interested in, our National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Physics Department is placed in positions 401-500, maintaining its status in the top-500 universities of the world. However, according to the QS criteria, UoA Physics is placed in the last position among Greek Physics Departments. See results and a screenshot below:
Putting aside the fact that NTUA (ranked in 151-200) is not a pure Physics Department, AUTh occupies the second place, while U.Crete is in No3.
Amid non-existent research funding, personnel reduction to a 40% with respect to what it was 3-4 years ago, turbulence with new legislation and “reforms”
I am personally very happy that NTUA Physics is still in the top-500. A different ranking based on another set of criteria (excluding from points the number of foreign students and faculty, mutlilingual programs, international character etc) has put the Physics Dept of UoA in the 101-150 worldwide for 2016 and 76-100 in 2017. Not bad for what we, as faculty, experience in our miserable everyday lifes.
An Isotopia 