Research carried out at Utrecht University spans almost every academic field, enabling it to rapidly address new developments in academia and society. As a result, the University is at the forefront of many inter-disciplinary advances. Most of Utrecht University’s research is carried out within research schools and institutes. The University also works closely with other universities, institutes, government organisations and interest groups, and enters into strategic alliances with the business community. Research is carried out in an international context, and the University coordinates a number of European networks and research projects and facilities in the fields of bimolecular chemistry, language and speech technology, and climate research.
Utrecht University established an EU Liaison Office which co-ordinates all European projects. It has built a large expertise in running EC funded research projects a.o a Socrates Thematic Network ATHENA, FP7 cooperation Media & Citizenship, FP7 Infrastructures Clarin, eContentPlus VideoActive and EUscreen, ERC Starting and Advanced Grant, Life Long Learning projects like NIFLAR and various Marie Curie projects.
Utrecht University’s Department of Media and Culture Studies has a special interest in emerging media, comparative media research, and the relationship among media, culture and society in a global context from both historical and theoretical perspectives. It engages in Digital Humanities and offers students a thorough grounding in the theoretical and historical approaches to media and their impact on citizenship, cultural identity, new forms of (popular) representation, entertainment, and cultural participation.
The excellence of the University’s research is reflected in its results in international university league tables and recent research assessments. In the recently published list of the world’s best universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University for Higher Education, Utrecht University was ranked no. 48 in the world, no. 12 in Europe and no. 1 in the Netherlands. In the Times Higher Education Ranking Utrecht University was ranked no. 68, no. 1 of the Universities in the Netherlands. Additionally Utrecht University is no. 53 worldwide in de Taiwan-ranking, published by the Higher Education Evaluation & Acreditation Council (HEEFCE).