Tsinghua University is a comprehensive research university with 20 schools and over 46,000 students from 120 countries. Drawing on a rich local tradition of academic excellence, it is a pacesetter for innovation in China. Today, Tsinghua University is among the most selective universities in the world, a trusted global partner for thousands of researchers and academics, a first port of call for world business and political leaders, and an invaluable bridge for international students seeking a deeper understanding of China.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is an independent, coeducational, private research university based in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT aims to ‘further knowledge and prepare students in science, technology and other fields of study that will best benefit the nation and the world today’. Its motto is Mens et Manus, which translates as “Mind and Hand”. The university lays claim to 85 Nobel Laureates, 58 National Medal of Science winners, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners and 45 MacArthur Fellows

The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 as the first national university in Japan. As a leading research university, University of Tokyo offers courses in essentially all academic disciplines at both undergraduate and graduate levels and conducts research across the full spectrum of academic activity. The University aims to provide its students with a rich and varied academic environment that ensures opportunities for both intellectual development and the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills.

Founded in 1868, University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a premier public university that prides itself as a wellspring of innovation. With its 170 academic departments and programs, and more than 80 inter-disciplinary research units divided into 14 colleges and schools, UC Berkeley provides a diverse and enriching environment for education and research.

Founded in 1872, Sciences Po (SP), or the Paris Institute of Political Studies, specializes in the social and political sciences, and is regarded as an elite institution due to its prominent alumni.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public university for scientific research and higher education located in Bangalore, India. Established in 1909 with active support from Jamsetji Tata and H.H. Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. It acquired the status of a Deemed University in 1958. IISc is widely regarded as India's finest institution in science. IISc has made significant contributions to life sciences, advanced computing, space, and nuclear technologies.

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research university in Cambridge, England. Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's third-oldest surviving university. Its 19,000-student body includes 3,700 international students from 120 countries. The mission of the University is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. To date, 90 affiliates of the University have won the Nobel Prize.

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro or University of Brazil is a public university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFRJ is the largest federal university in the country and is one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and research. In terms of scientific, artistic and cultural productions it is recognized nationally and internationally due to the great teachers, researchers, reviews and assessments made by international agencies.

Imperial College London, a science-based institution based in the centre of the capital, is regarded as one of the UK’s leading institutions. The college has around 15,000 students and 8,000 staff, with a focus on four main areas: science, engineering, medicine and business. The institution boasts 14 Nobel Prize winners, including Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. The college’s motto is Scientia imperii decus et tutamen, which translates as “Scientific knowledge, the crowning glory and the safeguard of the empire”.

The Australian National University (ANU) is one of the world’s leading centres for research and education. Founded by the Australian Government in 1946 to apply the best minds to the biggest questions and advance Australia’s international standing, ANU has grown to become one of the world’s leading research-intensive centres of higher learning. ANU is located at the heart of the national capital, alongside foreign missions, the Australian Parliament, other national institutions, research organizations, and offices of government.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the foremost social science universities in the world, specializing in a wide range of social science disciplines, including economics, politics, sociology, law and anthropology. It was founded in the late 1800s by Fabian Society members Beatrice and Sidney Webb, Graham Wallas and George Bernard Shaw for the purpose of bettering society, ‘by studying poverty issues and analyzing inequalities.’ The LSE boasts associations with 16 Nobel Prize winners and counts 37 past or present world leaders among its alumni.

Stellenbosch University (SU) is rooted in Africa and global in its reach. Over the past one hundred years, it has grown into a South African higher education institution with the vision to be a leading research-intensive university on the African continent, to be globally recognized as excellent, inclusive and innovative, and where knowledge is advanced in service of society. Starting out with four faculties (Arts, Science, Education and Agriculture), 503 students and 40 lecturing staff on 2 April 1918, SU today is home to ten faculties spread across five campuses, has a vibrant and cosmopolitan community of more than 32 000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, which include over 4 000 international students from 100 different countries.

Oxford is a world-leading centre of learning, teaching and research and the oldest university in the English-speaking world. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the world's second-oldest university in continuous operation. The history and influence of the University of Oxford have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. There are over 24,000 students at Oxford, including 11,930 undergraduates and 11,813 postgraduates. Oxford offers more than 350 different graduate degree programmes. Oxford University has pioneered the commercial exploitation of academic research and invention through Oxford University Innovation.

One of the world’s premier liberal arts colleges, Columbia College is distinguished by a singular, intensive Core Curriculum and provides all the benefits of a small college and all the reach of a great research university. Students have close contact with prize-winning and path-breaking faculty, a comprehensive advising system and a community where individuals are able to interact with their peers in a deep, meaningful way both inside and outside of the classroom.