Browse the full list of universities in this year¡¯s arts and humanities ranking

51¹ú²úÊÓƵn universities¡¯ performance in arts and humanities disciplines is waning, according to?Times Higher Education¡¯s latest ranking ¨C a trend that a leading 51¹ú²úÊÓƵn scholar has warned will be ¡°hard to reverse¡±.

Several flagship universities in the continent declined in?THE¡¯s latest arts and humanities subject ranking, published on 31 October.

Peking 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ¡¯s top representative, fell six places to joint 23rd, largely owing to a decline in its industry income score, as well as lower scores for teaching and research.

The National 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Singapore, Tsinghua 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ and the universities of Hong Kong and Tokyo also each dropped between one and three places, while most institutions in South Korea moved backwards.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ¡¯s decline occurs as some leading European universities make gains.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Three continental European universities now feature in the top 20 of the ranking for the first time under the current methodology (since 2011), after LMU Munich rose five places to 16th?and Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Paris jumped to 17th?from 32nd.

Several UK institutions have also risen: the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh have all made progress, while the London School of Economics features for the first time at 27th?place.

¨C Latest best universities for arts and humanities
¨C?Read the methodology for the arts and humanities 2019 subject ranking
¨C?Browse?Times Higher Education¡¯s university rankings portfolio
¨C?Search our database of global university jobs

The results were published after a China expert called for the country to return to ¡°pluralistic¡± education, focusing not just on the sciences but also the humanities.

Writing in the?, Peter Chang, senior lecturer at the Institute of China Studies at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Malaya, says: ¡°Chinese scientists have engineered phenomenal material uplift. Yet, in matters of the soul, the technocrats are found wanting.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

¡°Here is where the social sciences and humanities should step forward, fill the void and bring about more balanced progress.¡±

But Gerard Postiglione, honorary professor of education at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hong Kong, was sceptical over whether 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ would easily catch up in arts and humanities fields.

¡°The strengthening of the [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] fields among 51¹ú²úÊÓƵn universities has become salient but to the detriment of the social sciences and humanities,¡± he said. ¡°Like?climate change, it will not be an easy trend to reverse.¡±

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford, was more optimistic.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

While the research dominance of physical science STEM disciplines is ¡°a feature of the East 51¹ú²úÊÓƵn model of the elite university¡±, there are exceptions, particularly when it comes to languages, he said.

¡°Peking, Fudan and Nanjing universities in China are relatively strong across the board, when compared with many more STEM-dominated institutions. Several Hong Kong universities are excellent contributors to the social sciences and humanities and are stronger in the global and intercultural aspects of the SSH disciplines than most ranked universities,¡± he said.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

THE?World 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Rankings 2019 by subject: arts and humanities top 10

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com

Browse the full list of universities in this year¡¯s arts and humanities ranking