07 October 2018
University rankings have to evolve with the times. They should go beyond academic publications and citations, or even student diversity.
Instead, university rankings should take into account graduate employability, and the ability of a university to collaborate with industry partners in both research as well as in terms of job creation.
The International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP), comprising university leaders and chief executives of global companies, met in Singapore recently to discuss higher education. The panel agreed that current university rankings rely too much on research indicators and overlook other areas such as experiential learning and entrepreneurship.
Institutions of higher learning do far more than passively acquire knowledge.
The National Institute of Education, for instance, not only trains teachers, but also conducts research and spearheads innovation in schools.
Such activities do far more to foster nation building than academic citations or getting large numbers of foreign students.
Times Higher Education is planning to pilot a new university ranking next April which takes into account factors such as the quality of jobs their graduates land, their contributions to economic growth and innovation, and the global partnerships they forge.