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.

AJOL is an online database that hosts more than 400 peer-reviewed, African-published research journals. Over a quarter of these journals are open access. The website provides access to tables of contents, abstracts and links to full-text articles in PDF format, as well as author guidelines and contact details for each journal. It also provides useful resources for researchers and publishers.

The ATPS is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders interested in generating, promoting and strengthening innovative technology and industrial policies in Africa. It provides small grants for research on science and technology policy in sub-Saharan countries and disseminates results through publications, workshops, conferences and the Internet. The network also organises training for policymakers, legislators, researchers and leaders in the private sector.

TIMSS is an international study of science and mathematics achievement of schoolchildren carried out in four-year cycles. The purpose of the study is to help developing countries measure the science and maths scores of their students, compare these across participating countries and assess the impact of educational reforms. This achieved by putting in place and streamlining systems and processes to collect standardised academic achievement data. Sixty-one countries are participating in the 2007 study, including 15 Arab countries. The website hosts TIMSS-related documents for the Arab world including regional and country reports of the 2003 study.

This network aims to pool, analyse and share information on nuclear energy as well as practical experience to help improve knowledge and regional cooperation on nuclear safety in Asian countries. It has hubs in China, Korea and Japan, and five national centres in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The website provides information on nuclear power in Asian countries on topics that include waste management, emergency preparedness and education and training. It also publishes newsletters that report on relevant training workshops and meetings.

The ADEA website provides a forum for policymakers, educators and researchers to discuss education policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. It encourages dialogue and links between African education ministries and external partners through the ADEA secretariat and working group meetings — all activities, materials and presentations are available online.

ADEA publishes articles, books, papers, and reports on the development of education in Africa. It also hosts databases, including contact information for development agencies and African education ministries.

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.

D-Lab, run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is a programme of academic courses aimed at developing and implementing low-cost technologies to address poverty. Its approach is based on building partnerships and promoting capacity building, local innovation and indigenous knowledge.

The website contains information on its sixteen courses, and projects developed through the programme. Instructions on how to implement certain projects — such as making charcoal from agricultural waste — are also included.

Distance Learning for Development, coordinated by the London International Development Centre, provides distance learning postgraduate courses at the University of London in international development. Subject areas include health, food production, environment, education, water and sanitation.

The site is searchable by keywords and covers over 140 courses ranging from single modules to higher-level qualifications. Courses can contribute towards the completion of other qualifications such as postgraduate certificates, diplomas and masters degrees.

EdStats, developed by the World Bank, collects data on education from national reports, UNESCO (UN Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to provide educational statistics for over 200 countries and regions.

It also includes World Bank public expenditure data from 2002 onwards as well as projections of educational attainment and enrolment rates until 2050.

Data can be custom searched but is also available in pre-defined reports by country or topic, for example on the Millennium Development Goals or private education expenditure.