For yet another year, Jiao Tong University (in the Chinese city of Shanghai) has presented the results of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), more popularly known as the Shanghai ranking . And, as usually happens every year, its publication arouses interest in the media, although not so much within the academic community. Any […] … learn more→
Tag Archives: University rankings

What the Shanghai ranking cannot measure

University rankings: geopolitical issues underestimated ed?
The world of higher education and research is now punctuated by seasonal announcements of the results of “rankings”. Since 2003, when the first ranking of world universities was published by a research team from the Chinese Jiaotong University in Shanghai, meetings have multiplied. Alongside the generalist rankings established annually by the British press group Times Higher Education (since […] … learn more→

Some benchmarks on Chinese universities
Skepticism has long reigned about Chinese universities and the publications of their researchers. But, over the past twenty years, the situation has changed dramatically. The Chinese state has invested in universities, reformed them to make them world leaders. What is the current state of affairs? Chinese universities are part of a system that may have been inspired by that of the […] … learn more→

Don’t write off Russia’s efforts to ascend the global rankings
Many critics of Russia’s 5-100 Project have declared it a failure since it has not fulfilled its defining aim of catapulting five Russian universities into the top 100 of the global university rankings. But as the Russian government discusses a new initiative to succeed the seven-year $2.3 billion (£1.7 billion) programme, it is worth pointing […] … learn more→

What is the purpose of university rankings
Each year, the rankings of universities flourish, causing the same stir as the publication of major gastronomic guides. Who will be in the “top 50”? Have we made progress? Where are the neighboring universities (friends, nonetheless competing)? These questions stir the heads of higher education institutions. In fact, these rankings would hold larger global stock markets that are the Dow Jones […] … learn more→

South African universities shouldn’t be playing the global rankings game
Once again, Times Higher Education’s annual global university rankingshave drawn a lot of attention from the media and in the higher education sector. In South Africa, this has focused on the four institutions from the country that made the top 500 on the 2019 list. Of the four, the University of KwaZulu-Natal maintained its 2018 ranking. […] … learn more→

Rethinking university rankings: we need to talk about quality (and inequality) of teaching
Each year the release of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings generates a great deal of interest, excitement – and debate. This year all eyes are on China which, according to the 2018 rankings, “steps up its ascent” as “East closes in on West”. China’s Tsinghua University in 22nd place has overtaken all of its other […] … learn more→

University rankings: how do they compare and what do they mean for students?
University rankings can be highly influential. They can help prospective students to narrow down their choice of institution and, of course, they also give universities something to brag about. The UK’s elite institutions, Oxford and Cambridge, continue to occupy the top two posts in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings And many other UK universities […] … learn more→

Grading Higher Education: When worlds collide
One of the most persistent problems facing American higher education is how best to explain its importance and endearing value to the public. The problem is that various perspectives shape the approach utilized. Higher education leadership – especially at the research universities and the liberal arts colleges – often speak to the need for America […] … learn more→
World University rankings — Time for a name change?
I\’ve often wondered if the term \’World University Rankings\’ — the one deployed by the firm QS in its QS World University Rankings®, or TSL Education Ltd along with Thomson Reuters, in their Times Higher Education World University Rankings, is an accurate and indeed ethical one to use. My concern over the term was heightened […] … learn more→