Harvard University, once the world’s top research university, has dropped to third place in global rankings focused on academic publications. This shift highlights a rising trend where Chinese universities are climbing the ranks quickly, leaving American peers behind. The Leiden Rankings, based on scientific output, now rank Zhejiang University first, followed by six other Chinese schools in the top 10. Harvard, while producing more research than 20 years ago, stands third. The decline is not due to less output from US universities like Michigan, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Washington-Seattle, Penn, and Stanford, who have all increased research. Instead, Chinese institutions have surged even faster. The rankings use data from Web of Science, a comprehensive academic publication database. Rafael Reif, former president of MIT, said last year, "the number of papers and the quality of the papers coming from China are outstanding" and "dwarfing what we’re doing in US." China has invested billions into its universities, attracting top researchers globally. President Xi Jinping stated in 2024, "The scientific revolution is intertwined with the game between superpowers." Experts warn this trend could continue, posing challenges for American higher education and national interests. Phil Baty from Times Higher Education called it "a big shift coming, a bit of a new world order in global dominance of higher education and research."