August 15 is not only the D-day of vacations but also the publication date of the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
The famous Shanghai ranking published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which evaluates the recognized value and quality of education through six parameters. Essentially, it’s like awarding a number of stars that serve as an international label.
Once again, Harvard confirms its first place, ahead of Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, and Cambridge, the flag-bearer of the old continent. Anglo-American institutions maintain their supremacy with the top 19 spots, the first European university being the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.
On the French side, Paris (6) Pierre and Marie Curie takes the honor at 36th place in the overall ranking, followed by Paris Sud (11) at 41st and ENS Paris at 72nd.
In the PACA region, Aix-Marseille is ranked between 101/150 while the University of Nice Sophia is between 401/500.
While one should not take this ranking at face value, it remains true that it represents an internationally recognized formality.
There is still a long way to go for the southeast territory of France, notably the Marseille-Nice axis, to strengthen ambitions for development and attractiveness through a context of higher education and training.
A significant argument for the upcoming debates in the 2015 regional elections.
