The University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand – the top two universities in Africa – dropped in the Times Higher Education 2017 rankings, with researchers warning South African universities could disappear from the top 200 if the trend continues, writes Michelle Gumede for Business Live. More...22 septembre 2017
Top African universities slip on rankings list
The University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand – the top two universities in Africa – dropped in the Times Higher Education 2017 rankings, with researchers warning South African universities could disappear from the top 200 if the trend continues, writes Michelle Gumede for Business Live. More...Move to standardise university data to help rankings
A draft amendment to the higher education law proposes clarifying university assessment measures and making them uniform so that university rankings can be more precise in the future, reports VietNamNet Bridge. The amendment follows the recent launch of the country’s first university ranking by a group of independent experts. More...21 septembre 2017
The ‘World-Class’ fad – Time to pursue a grander vision
By John Aubrey Douglass and John N Hawkins. To a degree unmatched in other parts of the globe, the notion of a ‘World-Class University’ and the focus on its close relative, global rankings of universities, dominates the higher education policy-making of ministries and major universities in Asia. More...How do university rankings maintain their influence?
By Miguel Antonio Lim. University rankings are routinely raised as a concern in higher education. There appears to be a widespread view that vice-chancellors and other managers are universally concerned about the next rankings’ release. More...Plan for universities to hold jobs for foreign faculty
By Ranjit Devraj. India wants to hire more foreign academics to boost the position of its higher education institutions in international university rankings. More...Tempest in the rankings teapot – An African perspective
By Damtew Teferra. It is that season when ranking entities announce their 'findings' on the comparative stature of the world’s universities. As usual, the 'premier' universities remain at the top and the rest are relegated to the bottom – African universities in particular. The 'rankers' go about their business, some with audacity, but too often without sufficient concern for veracity, authenticity or integrity in their methodologies and, especially in the case of Africa, without sufficient data. More...What 15 years of global ranking says about HE trends
By Angel Calderon. This year’s edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities or ARWU marks a significant milestone. It is the 15th consecutive year in which the world’s top 500 list has been published. With this edition, ARWU includes for the first time an additional list of 300 universities that it deems to have the potential to break into the top 500. More...Driving positive change through university rankings
By Anand Kulkarni. With rankings season in full swing, it is a good time to consider how and whether rankings can transform India’s higher education system. Emerging economies are increasingly engaging with rankings as key strategic and promotional tools to attract and retain students and staff and research funding, as well as to enhance their reputation. Rankings and reputation feed off each other. More...Uneven development leaves private institutions on top
By Angel Calderon. The second edition of the Times Higher Education or THE Latin American university rankings, released last month, highlights the uneven educational development that prevails in the region. The THE ranking expanded from 50 institutions in 2016 to 81 in 2017. More...20 septembre 2017
Who makes it into PISA?
Unlike earlier PISA reports, the 2015 PISA report (Volume I and Volume II) highlights differences in sample coverage – how many students were eligible to participate in PISA – between countries. Why is this important? Because you can’t really appreciate the magnitude of improvement in a country’s performance in PISA unless you also understand how access to education has expanded over time, too. More...
