.UKZN Named Among Top 200 Agricultural Universities in the World
The University of KwaZulu-Natal has been ranked in the top 200 universities in agriculture and forestry in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings.
QS is regarded as one of the three most influential and widely observed university measures alongside the Academic Ranking of World Universities and Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Rankings are calculated according to factors such as academic reputation and research impact.
The QS World University Rankings’ methodology includes assessment of academic peer review, faculty/student ration, citations per faculty, employer reputation and international staff and student ratios. More than 3 000 institutions are considered in the process of these rankings, with only three other South African universities featuring in the top 200.
The centre for the University’s agricultural work, the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES), maintains close working relationships with many of the institutions in the top 200, including Cornell University, Wageningen University, Purdue University and Lincoln University.
There is a regular flow of collaborative research and visits by staff and students of these institutions with UKZN, strengthening its international standard of research and teaching.
UKZN’s agricultural research output remains one of its largest, with the 14 disciplines in SAEES largely focused on the training of students in this area and the advancement of studies related to agri-food production, especially as challenges such as food insecurity and climate change threaten the industry and demand innovative solutions.
UKZN is regarded as a leader in the agricultural sector by international staff and students and has attracted many top students and researchers who have contributed to its research and to the larger agricultural sector worldwide.
Christine Cuénod