Md. Monir Hossain Patwari, Reporter || The International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) has secured fourth place among 25 Bangladeshi universities in the combined public and private university rankings published by the UK-based magazine Times Higher Education (THE) for 2026.The latest ranking evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries based on several performance indicators, including teaching quality, research environment, research quality, student-to-faculty ratio, research citations and international student numbers.Expressing his satisfaction over the achievement, IIUC Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Ali Azadi described the university’s visibility on the international stage and in global rankings as an important milestone in its academic progress.He said that shortly after assuming office, he took initiatives to secure IIUC’s inclusion in internationally recognised rankings, including the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings.As part of the initiative, Dr. Abu Huraira Muhammad Idban Al-Majdadeh, who holds honours, master’s and PhD degrees from the United States, was brought to the university and assigned responsibility for carrying out the necessary work for participation in the THE and QS rankings.To further strengthen the process, the university formed a dedicated ranking committee under the leadership of the vice-chancellor. Professor Dr. Mohammad Nazim Uddin served as the committee convener, while Dr. Abu Huraira Muhammad Idban Al-Majdadeh, Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam and engineer Md. Mahi Uddin were its other members.According to Professor Azadi, the committee successfully completed the application process by submitting the required data and fulfilling the relevant criteria within the stipulated timeframe.He credited the achievement to the collective efforts, dedication and hard work of everyone involved, extending his congratulations and gratitude to the team. The vice-chancellor added that the achievement was not the end of the university’s journey but the beginning of a new chapter. He said IIUC aims to strengthen its position in the global academic community by maintaining quality education, promoting internationally competitive research, expanding global collaboration and ensuring continued institutional development.