New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Top academics across the world have welcomed the entry of O.P. Jindal Global University into the top 1,000 ranks in the 2020 edition of the QS World University Rankings.

They include, among others, distinguished academic leaders from Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Association of Commonwealth Universities and United Nations University.

QS World University Rankings (WUR) 2020, which were recently released in London, highlight the top 1,000 universities around the world, based on reputation, research productivity and impact and internationalisation.

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) was the only new entrant from India, coming in at the 751-800 rank band of the WUR. This makes JGU the youngest university in the world to have been ranked in the WUR. Since then, a spate of congratulatory messages have been received by JGU, including the leaders of top ranked universities around the world.

Reacting to the messages received from around the world JGU Founding Vice Chancellor C. Raj Kumar observed: "We are very delighted to receive these messages from university leaders, distinguished intellectuals and thoughtful educationists from around the world celebrating the debut entry of JGU into the QS World University Rankings."

"It is a deeply humbling and profoundly gratifying experience to be acknowledged and appreciated by individuals and institutions who have themselves inspired us in our institution building journey of the last decade. It is a testament to what India can achieve as a nation in its relentless pursuit of excellence towards building a knowledge society," Raj Kumar added.

From the US, Professor Richard Levin, President Emeritus, Yale University commented: "As an early supporter of JGU, I am delighted to see that it has now earned recognition as a leading global university. With best wishes for continued success."

The United Nations University Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General David M. Malone observed: "I am not surprised to learn that JGU, at the very young age of 10, has broken into the QS global World University Ranking, within which it bound to rise further. This a tribute to the excellent faculty that the university has assembled, and to the excellent students the university has attracted!"

Professor David B. Wilkins of Harvard Law School said: "I am thrilled to hear that JGU has been listed in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. This is an unprecedented honor for a university which is just celebrating its tenth anniversary, and a testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of each and every one of you."

Professor Shyam Sunder, James L. Frank Professor of Accounting, Economics, and Finance, Yale School of Management observed: "By creating an intensive learning environment with talented faculty and students, JGU is pioneering a new kind of university in India. Such seed farms of knowledge enable India to reap dividends instead of disasters from its demography. JGU shows the way to how Indian higher education can be among the best in quality education, scholarship, and innovation."

"One of JGU's key strengths has been its ability to garner international partnerships with top ranked universities. With this achievement of breaking into the world rankings, we expect that JGU will be able to climb higher," a statement said.

--IANS vm/bc