Times Higher Education-QS World University Ranking survey for 2008 announced recently found only two Indian institutes
in the top 200, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay ranked 154 and 174 respectively.
The survey was largely dominated by UK and US-based varsities, Harvard University of US topping the charts. Both Cambridge and Oxford universities have slipped in their rankings by one spot each. Yale ranked second and Cambridge came a close third place, while Oxford has fourth place, and Imperial College London has slipped from fifth to sixth place. The highest-ranking Asian institution is the University of Tokyo, ranked 19, followed by another Japanese institution, University of Kyoto, at No. 25. The University of Hong Kong is No. 26. China's Peking University and South Korea's Seoul National University are jointly placed at No. 50.
The Asian institutions have risen in the list, as nine of them are now in the Top 50 list, including three based in Hong Kong. The rankings are based, among other things, on surveys of academics and graduate employers about the best universities and the ratio of students to academics.