Siberian university named in prestigious list of Top 100 in the world

Novosibirsk State University (NSU) has been named in a prestigious list of the top 100 universities in the world.

A relatively young establishment, it was only opened in 1959 making its ranking alongside the likes of 816-year-old University of Cambridge in the UK all the more impressive.

NSU was placed 43rd in the World Professional University Rankings compiled by the International Council of Scientists in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences in Latvia.

Judging took into account a number of main criteria: the academic reputation of the university, including an assessment of its scientific potential and the learning environment; its public image based on international and domestic rating systems; and the expert opinions of members of the International Council of Scientists, which includes professors from more than 40 countries. Each educational establishment was also judged on its website.

NSU has gained ground significantly over the past 12 months, rising from 217th place in 2014 to 43rdthis time.

Only one other Russian university, Moscow State, is ranked higher in 37th place, while the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology is also in the top 100 in 77th position.

Five American universities, including Yale, Stanford and Harvard, are at the top of the rankings, which are dominated by the US.

The California Institute of Technology was named the best, while the Federal Institute of Zurich took sixth place and the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209, one place behind.

The success of NSU will be welcomed by the government of the Novosibirsk region which allocated 592.4 million roubles ($9.62million) to the university in 2013 to help it compete on the world stage. Last year this amount was increased to 775 million roubles ($12.5 million).

NSU was officially opened on September 26, 1959, with a ceremony at the Concert Hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Novosibirsk.

The first lectures were held in an existing secondary school and the first residences for the students were simple tents erected in the forest. It is said the 'spirit of the novelty and the lust for education' helped to motivate the inaugural intake of students.