University rankings are necessary evil, academics say

Dubai: University rankings are a controversial topic for many academics who see their institutions pitted against others using possibly flawed criteria to determine the strongest contenders.

"As an academic I have moments when I think the rankings are a poison… as well as positive," said Dr Kevin Downing, deputy registrar at City University of Hong Kong, at the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Rankings Workshop in Dubai on Tuesday.

Quality assurance officials and leaders from universities around the world attended the event to discuss rankings and their value in the education landscape.

Downing said rankings were not "the be-all-and end-all but they are an important indicator of our standing on the global stage. They also help us attract really good faculty, students and money from benefactors".

Rankings may not always be favourable to a university and the measuring criteria may be flawed in some cases but the long term benefits to the institution and the students are important to consider he said.

The three largest rankers for world university rankings are Times Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and QS.

The Middle East, Downing said, was not well known for its quality institutions but rankings can help build universities' brand and visibility on the global stage. "Rankings help get the message out to the rest of the world."

Currently only UAE University ranks among the top 400 universities in the world, coming in at 372nd place. Saudi Arabia has performed better with five universities on the QS World University Rankings top 400 list.

More balance

The 2000s saw rankings proliferate in the higher education sector and over the years the ranking systems have become better rounded and balanced said Dr John O'Leary, Executive Member of the QS Academy Advisory Board.

Their importance has increased over the years and, which is why people need to understand what data goes into making up the rankings so that there is no misunderstanding and manipulation of data on to produce more favourable outcomes he said.