Faculty of Archaeology ranks 5th in QS World University Ranking
It is the eighth year in a row that the Faculty of Archaeology is placed in the top ten of archaeological institutes worldwide. The QS World University Rankings by Subject looks at criteria like academic reputation and citation ratios.
Shared 5th place
Dean Jan Kolen is pleased with the Faculty's high score in the QS World University Ranking, ranking 5th, together with the Durham University: 'We have just received good news about our QS ranking: we have joined the Top 5 for the first time! That is of course a fantastic achievement which, as I emphasised last year, in our case is truly a team effort, in which both the scientific staff and support staff play an important role.'
In recent years the Faculty continued to develop into an institute where research and education are in balance and feed each other. 'We are of course in the fortunate position that we are a Faculty. Although we are the smallest (but most beautiful) Faculty of Leiden University, we are important for the entire university as a pioneer in a number of areas. One of these is interdisciplinary research. Our research has a broad and highly differentiated profile as it is at the intersection of the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities. Within this, we have developed strong foci on science-based research, regional specialisations, human evolution and heritage.'
Connections with society
The Faculty is also continuing to create connections with societal partners. 'Although our output in influential journals is high, we are also increasingly visible in society, by collaborating with societal partners such as citizen scientists, governments, NGOs and museums,' Kolen notes. 'Our new special chairs of the National Heritage Agency (RCE), Museum of Antiquities (RMO) and Naturalis underline this.'
'We have grown again in recent years and have welcomed several new colleagues. Our strong position in the QS ranking will encourage them to develop their own innovative research line, and thus further strengthen our joint faculty profile. I would like to thank all our staff members for their efforts!'
Output and reputation
The QS Ranking by Subject is based on academic output and reputation. For years now, the Faculty has been among the Top 10 in the World Ranking, along with the archaeological and anthropological institutions of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, UCL and Durham, among others. In the past decade, our Faculty has consistently been ranked as the highest-qualified institute outside the US and UK.