The Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities provides rankings compiled each year from 2003 onwards. Universities are ranked using a combination of indicators of academic and research performance such as Nobel Prize winners, highly cited researchers and number of articles published in Nature and Science.

The authors explain how the data is compiled and present summary statistics by region and country, as well as a full list of the top 500 institutions worldwide.

The AAU, based in Accra, promotes consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among higher education institutes in Africa. It provides fellowships and small grants for postgraduate studies and staff exchanges. It also runs programmes to study higher education management and assure the quality of its member institutions. The website gives summaries of all these activities and links to AAU newsletters and publications. It also offers a list of online resources relevant to higher education in Africa.

The principal aim of TWAS is to promote scientific capacity and sustainable development in the South through research as well as South–South and North–South collaborations. It was founded in 1983 by a group of Southern scientists, under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, as an autonomous international organisation. Fellows are citizens of the South; associate fellows are citizens of the North who were born in the South or have made significant contributions to science in the South.

United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology.  UNU-MERIT is a joint research and training centre of United Nations University (UNU) and Maastricht University, The Netherlands.  Their mission is to provide insights into the social, political and economic factors that drive technological change and innovation, with a particular focus on the creation, diffusion and access to knowledge. The Centre's research and policy work, and its extensive PhD training and capacity development programmes explore the complementary roles of states, research institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations in bringing about innovation for equitable and environmentally sustainable economic development.