scholarly journals Top Universities or Top Higher Education Systems?

2014 ◽  
pp. 7-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Millot
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Higher Education Systems ◽  
World Class ◽  
International University ◽  
World Class Universities

In reaction to the focus of international university rankings on a tiny cluster of “world class universities”, attempts are being made to rank national higher education systems.  This paper compares the results of the U21 system ranking with those of major university rankings, reviews the reasons for their similarities. It argues that system rankings are critical and suggests how to enhance their usefulness

scholarly journals World Class at All Costs

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Mats Hyvönen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Board Of Trustees ◽  
Global Competition ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Higher Education Systems ◽  
Funding Policies ◽  
World Class

AbstractThis chapter takes up the now infamous case of the so-called Macchariani Scandal in light of the Karolinska Institute’s tactics for maintaining and enhancing its position as a WCU. It pays special attention to research funding policies in general, and, in particular, the role of the chairman of the Institute’s Board of Trustees, the Liberal politician Lars Leijonborg, as an example of how the dream of becoming a world-class country in the increasingly fierce global competition can have far-reaching negative consequences for national higher education systems as well as for individuals.

The Future of Indian Universities

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
The Future ◽  
Indian Higher Education ◽  
World Class ◽  
World Class Universities

The Indian higher education system commanded awe and respect in the ancient world. Important seats of learning like Nalanda and Takshashila attracted the best students and academics from across the globe. Unfortunately, over a period of time, our higher education system lost its global competitiveness. This is exemplified by the fact that not many Indian higher education institutions feature in the annual world university rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings or the QS World University Rankings. At the same time, India’s aspirations to establish world-class universities have never been greater. The book is a culmination of a range of ideas and perspectives that will shape India’s aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. It is a recognition that the future of Indian universities and their ability to seek global excellence will depend on three critical paradigms: first is the need for creating a vision for higher education that will focus on research and knowledge creation, institutional excellence, and global benchmarking as the indicators for standard-setting; second, the need for pursuing substantial reforms relating to policy, regulation, and governance of higher education; and third is the need for investigating a paradigmatic shift for promoting interdisciplinarity in higher education with a stronger and deeper focus on the pedagogy of teaching and learning in different fields of inquiry. Through a series of contributions from noted academics and scholars from India and around the world, this book discusses these three strings of thought, to create higher education opportunities that will enable the future generations of students to pursue world-class education in world-class universities in India.

World Class Universities and the Rest

2017 ◽  
pp. 109-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Academic Fields ◽  
World Class ◽  
World Class Universities ◽  
Centres Of Excellence

University rankings and the concept of “World Class Universities” have captured the imagination of academics and policy makers, and they are now both firmly established as part of the higher education scene. The rankings have been criticised on many grounds: the arbitrary nature of the measures used, the arbitrariness of the methodologies used and the need of rankings to respond to other imperatives. This chapter looks at what function rankings have in legitimising funding regimes that focus investment in “centres of excellence”, and what this implies for reduced / worse funding of other institutions. This central philosophy of focusing investment where there is a critical mass of research activity has dramatic implications for the relationships between universities and their communities. These pressures will be experienced differently in different academic fields. This chapter examines the ramifications of adopting a one-size-fits-all policy to diverse disciplines with different requirements.

scholarly journals Universities Under Pressure: the Impact of International University Rankings

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Javier Vidal ◽  
Camino Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Ranking Systems ◽  
World Class ◽  
International University ◽  
World Class Universities ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

This paper synthesizes the characteristics of university rankings that cause pressure or ‘harassment’ on universities and analyses possible strategies for action that can be carried out in the real context of the three main university rankings (QS, THE, ARWU), suggesting the consequences for the so-called world-class universities and others (which represent 95% of the total). Although there is controversy over the criteria of the university ranking systems, many universities are establishing strategies aimed at adapting to these criteria and indicators and improving their positions. This study concludes that international university rankings should not be a relevant source of information to consider the quality of universities because this can have a negative impact on the development of medium- and long-term policies in higher education and the universities themselves. Universities should concentrate on their mission and must provide valid and reliable information to all stakeholders about the level of achievement of their goals.

scholarly journals WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITIES COMO CONCEITO EM DISPUTA NA EDUCAÇÃO SUPERIOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 582-598
Author(s):  
José Vieira de Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
World Class ◽  
Academic Ranking ◽  
World Class Universities

O artigo tem como objetivo analisar o conceito de world-class universities como objeto de disputa no competitivo campo da educação superior, partindo da premissa que no mundo globalizado sua origem e consolidação ocorrem tomando como referência básica padrões internacionais de qualidade. De natureza teórica, o trabalho problematiza a educação superior na economia do conhecimento, de maneira articulada à exploração de dados produzido pelos dois principais rankings que classificam essas universidades – Academic Ranking of World Universities e Times Higher Education World University Rankings – publicados, respectivamente, nos anos de 2019 e 2020. Conclui-se que o conceito desse novo modelo de universidade considera critérios e indicadores globais de qualidade, mas também a ação das demais universidades que fazem parte do campo da educação superior.  

World-Class Universities in East Asian Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Futao Huang
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
East Asian ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Global University ◽  
World Class ◽  
Fierce Competition ◽  
World Class Universities

Since the start of the 21st century, the building of world-class universities has been viewed as an important and relevant means to enhance the quality of teaching and research, governance and management arrangements, and further internationalization of higher education in a growing number of countries. It is increasingly conceived as a top priority and the primary foundation for restructuring and reforming various higher education systems, especially in several East Asian countries and societies. Through implementing top-down national strategies featuring a concentration of resources in selected institutions, several East Asian countries, and especially China, have successfully established research-oriented universities and driven the rise of these universities in global university rankings. Despite numerous challenges, in the context of increased international competition in higher education worldwide, development initiatives that seek to form world-class universities are becoming more common, and this is particularly evident in the fierce competition between Asian countries.

scholarly journals Welcome to the World Class University: Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sharon Rider ◽  
Michael A. Peters ◽  
Mats Hyvönen ◽  
Tina Besley
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Policy ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Global University ◽  
World Class ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
World Class Universities

AbstractThe notion of World Class Universities, and the use of rankings in general, has been an object of study for decades. Perhaps the first major critical work was Ellen Hazelkorn’s Rankings and the reshaping of higher education: The battle for world-class excellence (2011). Just as the influence of rankings shows no sign of abating, neither does the impetus to provide practical proposals for how to use them to advantage, or, alternatively, to examine the sources and effects of the practices involved. Recent interventions belonging to the first category are Downing and Ganotice’s World university rankings and the future of higher education (2017), while Stack’s Global university rankings and the mediatization of higher education (2016) and Hazelkorn’s Global rankings and the geopolitics of higher education: Understanding the influence and impact of rankingson higher education, policyand society (2016) are notable examples of the latter. The essays presented in the present volume are intended to contribute to our understanding of the phenomenon, its causes and consequences by filling three functions: (i) to provide an updated analysis of current trends in rankings and an examination of recent data regarding World Class University (WCU) initiatives relevant to the form and content of higher education; (ii) to study these especially with an eye to particular ramifications for work on the shop floor, that is to say, for university teachers and students; (iii) to investigate possible future courses and alternative trajectories.

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