scholarly journals World-Class or World-Ranked Universities? Performativity and Nobel Laureates in Peace and Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Denman
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
University Education ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Nobel Laureates ◽  
International Ranking ◽  
World Class ◽  
University Affiliation

It is erroneous to draw too many conclusions about global university rankings. Making a university’s reputation rest on the subjective judgement of senior academics and over-reliance on interpreting and utilising secondary data from bibliometrics and peer assessments have created an enmeshed culture of performativity and over-emphasis on productivity. This trend has exacerbated unhealthy competition and mistrust within the academic community and also discord outside its walls. Surely if universities are to provide service and thrive with the advancement of knowledge as a primary objective, it is important to address the methods, concepts, and representation necessary to move from an emphasis on quality assurance to an emphasis on quality enhancement.This overview offers an analysis of the practice of international ranking. US News and World Report Best Global Universities Rankings, the Times Supplement World University Rankings, and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities are analysed. While the presence of Nobel laureates in the hard sciences has been seized upon for a number of years as quantifiable evidence of producing world-class university education, Nobel laureates in peace and literature have been absent from such rankings. Moreover, rankings have been based on employment rather than university affiliation. Previously unused secondary data from institutions where Nobel peace and literature laureates completed their terminal degrees are presented. The purpose has been to determine whether including peace and literature laureates might modify rankings. A caveat: since the presence of awarded Nobel laureates affiliated at various institutions results in the institutions receiving additional ranking credit in the hard sciences of physics, chemistry, medicine, and economic sciences, this additional credit is not recognised in the approach used in this study. Among other things, this study suggests that if educational history were used in assembling the rankings as opposed to one’s university affiliation, conclusions might be very different.

Discourses on quality and quality assurance in higher education from the perspective of global university rankings

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maruša Hauptman Komotar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
International Studies ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Of Higher Education ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
International Ranking ◽  
Global University

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how global university rankings interact with quality and quality assurance in higher education along the two lines of investigation, that is, from the perspective of their relationship with the concept of quality (assurance) and the development of quality assurance policies in higher education, with particular emphasis on accreditation as the prevalent quality assurance approach. Design/methodology/approach The paper firstly conceptualises quality and quality assurance in higher education and critically examines the methodological construction of the four selected world university rankings and their references to “quality”. On this basis, it answers the two “how” questions: How is the concept of quality (assurance) in higher education perceived by world university rankings and how do they interact with quality assurance and accreditation policies in higher education? Answers are provided through the analysis of different documentary sources, such as academic literature, glossaries, international studies, institutional strategies and other documents, with particular focus on official websites of international ranking systems and individual higher education institutions, media announcements, and so on. Findings The paper argues that given their quantitative orientation, it is quite problematic to perceive world university rankings as a means of assessing or assuring the institutional quality. Like (international) accreditations, they may foster vertical differentiation of higher education systems and institutions. Because of their predominant accountability purpose, they cannot encourage improvements in the quality of higher education institutions. Practical implications Research results are beneficial to different higher education stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, institutional leadership, academics and students), as they offer them a comprehensive view on rankings’ ability to assess, assure or improve the quality in higher education. Originality/value The existing research focuses principally either on interactions of global university rankings with the concept of quality or with processes of quality assurance in higher education. The comprehensive and detailed analysis of their relationship with both concepts thus adds value to the prevailing scholarly debates.

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.

scholarly journals The Asian Higher Education Century?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Altbach
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Interactive Teaching ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
The World ◽  
World Class ◽  
Academic Professions ◽  
Academic Corruption

Though the 2009 world university rankings showed a slight increase in the number of Asian universities, it does not automatically mean the rest of the world's university is deteriorating. Though different Asian countries take different strategies for improvement, and difficult to generalize, there are still impediments for the world-class quality: hierarchical relationships, a lower degree of academic freedom, less-selective promotion systems, less-interactive teaching methods, academic corruption in some countries, a use of local language, and lower salaries for academic professions would be impediments for the world-class quality.

scholarly journals Potensi Penerapan Konsep Green Campus pada Atribut Green Open Space di Institut Teknologi Nasional (Itenas) Bandung

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enni Lindia Mayona ◽  
Bella Fernanda
Keyword(s):  
Open Space ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Public Works ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
City Development ◽  
Campus Environment ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Green Campus ◽  
Institute Of Technology

ABSTRAKInstitut Teknologi Nasional (Itenas) merupakan salah satu perguruan tinggi yang memiliki visi untuk ikut berperan aktif dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan di lingkup nasional dan global. Pusat Studi Sumber Daya Alam dan Lingkungan (PUSDAL) Itenas menyatakan bahwa Itenas dianggap belum mampu merespon tantangan lingkungan saat ini, belum ada integrasi antara pusat studi dengan berbagai lumbung pengetahuan yang ada di jurusan, serta diperlukan perubahan institusi menuju arah pengembangan hijau. Oleh karena itu, perlu dilakukan penerapan konsep green campus dimulai dari atribut green open space menurut Program Pengembangan Kota Hijau (P2KH) oleh Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum (2017) yang peneliti anggap memiliki peranan penting dan krusial di dalam lingkungan kampus. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui potensi penerapan konsep green campus pada atribut green open space di Institut Teknologi Nasional (Itenas) Bandung. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui observasi langsung, penyebaran kuesioner, dan wawancara, sedangkan metode analisis yang digunakan adalah distribusi frekuensi, scoring, dan komparatif, juga Metode Gerarkis dan UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2018. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Itenas memiliki beberapa lokasi potensial ruang terbuka hijau, serta civitas akademika Itenas memiliki pengetahuan dan kepedulian yang tinggi, serta peran aktif yang sangat tinggi terhadap atribut green open space.Kata Kunci: Green Campus, Green Open Space  ABSTRACTThe National Institute of Technology (Itenas) is one of the universities that has a vision to contibute in sustainable development in the national and global scope. The Center of Study for Natural Resources and Environment (PUSDAL) stated that Itenas was unable to respond to current environmental challenges, there was no integration between study centers with various knowledge in the department, and institutional changes needed towards green development direction. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the green campus concept starting from attributes of green open space according to the Green City Development Program (P2KH) by Ministry of Public Works (2017) which researchers consider to have an important and crucial role in the campus environment. This study aims to determine the potential application of the green campus concept to the attributes of green open space in National Institute of Technology (Itenas) Bandung. Data collection is done through direct observation, questionnaires, and interviews, while the analytical methods used are frequency distribution, scoring, and comparative, also the Gerarkis Method and the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2018. The results of the study show that Itenas has several potential locations for green open space and the academic community of Itenas have high knowledge and concern, and a very high contibution on the attributes of green open space.Keywords:Green Campus, Green Open Space

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.  

scholarly journals Pengaruh Kualitas Layanan Jasa Pendidikan Terhadap Kepuasan Mahasiswa serta Dampaknya Terhadap Upaya Peningkatan Citra Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Menuju World Class University (Studi pada Mahasiswa Asing di ITB, UNPAD, dan UPI)

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Puspo Dewi Dirgantari
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modelling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
World Class

Pendidikan merupakan salah satu alat yang yang paling efektif untuk mengubah manusia. Seiring dengan globalisasi yang terus terjadi dengan kecepatan tinggi yang menyentuh setiap aspek kehidupan manusia secara global menyentuh pula pendidikan. Perubahan ini membuat pasar dan persaingan perguruan tinggi menjadi lebih luas dari sebelumnya dan relatif bergerak lebih cepat dibandingkan dengan kemampuan perguruan tinggi untuk meresponnya. Saat ini telah ada pemeringkatan universitas-universitas di dunia yang bertandar internasional yang dilakukan oleh lembaga-lembaga yang diakui oleh dunia, perguruan tinggi di Indonesia tidak termasuk 50 universitas terbaik dunia baik versi Webometrics maupun QS World University Rankings. Hal ini menunjukan bahwa masih lemahnya daya saing perguruan tinggi di Indonesia dibandingkan dengan perguruan tinggi di luar negeri yang pada akhirnya daya saing perguruan tinggi ini akan membangun citra perguruan tingginya. Citra memiliki arti yang sangat penting bagi institusi. Citra adalah sebuah faktor yang penting yang saling berhubungan dengan kepuasan konsumen dan loyalitas. Pengalaman langsung mempunyai pengaruh yang kuat terhadap citra Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah descriptif survey dan explanatory survey terhadap sampel berukuran 100 orang mahasiswa asing di tiga perguruan tinggi negeri di Bandung yaitu ITB, UNPAD dan UPI. Data yang digunakan adalah data primer dan data sekunder yang dikumpulkan melalui studi kepustakaan dan kuesioner. Sedangkan untuk mengukur besarnya pengaruh kualitas layanan jasa pendidikan terhadap kepuasan mahasiswa serta dampaknya terhadap upaya peningkatan citra perguruan tinggi negeri di Bandung digunakananalisis SEM (Structural Equation Modelling). Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa kualitas layanan jasa pendidikan berpengaruh positif terhadap kepuasan mahasiswa dan pengaruh kepuasan mahasiswa berpengaruh positif terhadap citra perguruan tinggi negeri di Bandung. Atribut layanan yang harus diprioritaskan atau yang harus mendapat perhatian lebih atau diperbaiki sehingga kinerjanya meningkat antara lain: asrama mahasiswa, Infrastruktur TI, fasilitas medism, dan potensi-potensi staf seperti etos kerja, fleksibilitas, ketelitian, kedisiplinan, kreatif dan inovasi, integritas dan tanggung jawab.

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.

scholarly journals A Multicriteria Goal Programming Model for Ranking Universities

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Fernando García ◽  
Francisco Guijarro ◽  
Javier Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Goal Programming ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
University Rankings ◽  
Central Tendency ◽  
Performance Variables ◽  
World University Rankings ◽  
Goal Programming Model ◽  
Objective Quantification

This paper proposes the use of a goal programming model for the objective ranking of universities. This methodology has been successfully used in other areas to analyze the performance of firms by focusing on two opposite approaches: (a) one favouring those performance variables that are aligned with the central tendency of the majority of the variables used in the measurement of the performance, and (b) an alternative one that favours those different, singular, or independent performance variables. Our results are compared with the ranking proposed by two popular World University Rankings, and some insightful differences are outlined. We show how some top-performing universities occupy the best positions regardless of the approach followed by the goal programming model, hence confirming their leadership. In addition, our proposal allows for an objective quantification of the importance of each variable in the performance of universities, which could be of great interest to decision-makers.

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