Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L front) visits the National School of Development at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, April 15, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

LONDON - Times Higher Education (THE) on Wednesday reveals its BRICS & Emerging Economies University Rankings 2017. China's institutions dominate, taking seven of the top 10 places, led by Peking University (1st) and Tsinghua University (2nd), and 77 in the ranking overall.

Accounting for one in six of universities in the ranking, the Chinese mainland is home to the highest density of leading institutions in the developing world with 52 universities in the list.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has 25 universities in this year's expanded ranking of 300 institutions, which have struggled to make progress this year with all but two of the universities ranked last year dropping places this year.

An impressive 38 of China' s universities make the top 100, while seven make the elite top 10, including Fudan University, which rose 11 places to reach sixth place this year.

Meanwhile Tongji University makes the top 25 at joint 24th place for the first time after jumping 28 places.

Universities in the five BRICS nations face stronger competition than ever from those in other emerging economies.

India performs well in this year' s ranking, increasing its share of the top universities in the ranking with 27 in the top 300. Brazil has 25 universities in the ranking, up from 14 last year.

It is a mixed picture for Russia with 24 ranked institutions beating last year's 15.

Lomonosov Moscow State University holds onto its third place overall, ahead of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, which climbs rapidly to 12th position. However, 10 of Russia's universities represented drop places this year.

South Africa has also struggled to compete this year, with a slight drop in the overall representation in the rankings and three of its top four performers dropping year on year.

Phil Baty, editor of the THE's World University Rankings, said that it is fantastic news that 52 Chinese mainland's universities make this prestigious list, representing more than one in six places across the newly-expanded top-300 table -- more than any other country.

"China's strong performance in this list of the top universities in BRICS and emerging economies follows its ascent in the flagship THE World University Rankings in September, which was largely driven by an enhanced academic reputation and research influence and increased success at attracting international talent," he said.

China has introduced powerful policy drives, backed with serious funding, to produce world-class universities.

According to THE, its BRICS and Emerging Economies Rankings 2017 draw upon 300 universities ranked with 41 countries included. It is a unique global ranking which examines the leading universities in 50 emerging and frontier economies.