Seoul National University has been overtaken by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in several fields in global university rankings.

SNU fell behind KAIST in engineering and most other fields in this year's tally released by U.K. ranking firm Quacquarelli Symonds on Monday.

SNU ranked below KAIST in areas like chemical engineering at 20th behind KAIST's 19th, mechanical and aviation engineering at 22nd behind KAIST's 21st, civil and structural engineering at 28th to KAIST's 24th, electrical and electronic engineering at 29th to KAIST's 20th, and computer and information systems engineering at 40th to KAIST's 36th.

In 2011, SNU still beat KAIST in four areas of study. Critics say SNU academics are not carrying out research with a sufficiently long-term perspective and are preoccupied with short-term results.

SNU insiders have been complaining that research outcomes are assessed on quantity rather than quality and paternalism and cronyism are rife in the bastion of the establishment.

Other Asian universities soared in this year's global evaluation. They include the National University of Singapore, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Tokyo and Tsinghua University. NUS had as many as a dozen fields of studies in the global top 10.

No Korean university had an individual department in the global top 10.