[dropcap]DCU[/dropcap] has dropped 31 places in the world rankings of universities. Previously placed at 391st in the rankings, DCU now falls at 422nd.
No Irish universities have made the top 100, with Trinity College dropping from 88th to 104th place. UCD has also dropped from 168th to 193rd.
The Irish Universities Association has said they are “disappointed but not surprised” by the drops in positions.
“Irish universities have endured a decade of under-investment. The impact of the funding cuts over the years, while invisible in the short-term, are now being seen directly as our universities are out-performed by better funded international competitors,” the IUA said in a statement.
Director General of the IUA Jim Miley said the fall in the rankings should be “a warning light to government that the quality talent pipeline will be jeopardised unless the funding deficit is addressed”.
He said that the continued failure to provide sufficient third level funding will “directly damage the Irish economy in future years”.
The Ibec Senior Executive for Education and Innovation Policy, Claire McGee said that “the lack of investment does not match or support the national ambitions to be a global education and innovation leader”.
“We need to stop any further slide in rankings and the time to act is now,” she said.
The top three universities in the rankings are all American universities – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Harvard University.
DCU were unable to comment at the time of publication.
Emily Sheahan
Image Credit: DCU