Martin Ince Communications Ltd Leiden Rankings Conference, February 6 and 7, 2009

Martin Ince Communications LtdMartin Ince Communications Ltd

Leiden Rankings Conference, Leiden Rankings Conference, February 6 and 7, 2009February 6 and 7, 2009


Information and PowerInformation and Power

Presentation by Martin IncePresentation by Martin Ince

Contributing editor of THEContributing editor of THE

Editor of the THE/QS World University Editor of the THE/QS World University RankingsRankings


Times Higher EducationTimes Higher Education

Since 1971Since 1971 Part of TSL EducationPart of TSL Education Also TESAlso TES Online at Online at

www.timeshighereducation.co.ukwww.timeshighereducation.co.uk Me a contractor and was deputy Me a contractor and was deputy

editoreditor


Why rank universities?Why rank universities?

Rapid growth of higher educationRapid growth of higher education More need for knowledgeMore need for knowledge More need for international More need for international

knowledgeknowledge Ranking things and peopleRanking things and people

- In the UK, police forces, schools, - In the UK, police forces, schools, hospitals, librarieshospitals, libraries


Fun or…Fun or…

Some of these rankings are for funSome of these rankings are for fun

- rich lists- rich lists

- now dozens of types- now dozens of types

Some are seriousSome are serious

- Over 1000 “failing” institutions - Over 1000 “failing” institutions


Globalisation of universitiesGlobalisation of universities

What is it?What is it? Is it important?Is it important? How do you measure it?How do you measure it? What happens when you try?What happens when you try?


What is it?What is it?

Universities are the original global Universities are the original global enterprisesenterprises

2.7 million (2006)2.7 million (2006) Slowing home student numbers in Slowing home student numbers in

many developed world nationsmany developed world nations Awareness of students’ need to be Awareness of students’ need to be

more globalmore global


The five flowsThe five flows

PeoplePeople MoneyMoney Ideas Ideas

ServicesServices GoodsGoods


War for talentWar for talent

Work of Phil Brown et alWork of Phil Brown et al Unskilled jobs mobile for decadesUnskilled jobs mobile for decades IT makes middle class jobs mobileIT makes middle class jobs mobile Microsoft in ChinaMicrosoft in China Design, research, financeDesign, research, finance Pasadenanow.comPasadenanow.com Universities and students know thisUniversities and students know this


Economic impactEconomic impact

Research and innovationResearch and innovation Not just Silicon ValleyNot just Silicon Valley

• Cambridge Cambridge • BostonBoston• FinlandFinland• MunichMunich• BangaloreBangalore


Economic impactEconomic impact

New emphasesNew emphases• Climate change: mitigation and adaptationClimate change: mitigation and adaptation• RoboticsRobotics• NanotechnologyNanotechnology• Web 2.0, 3.0…Web 2.0, 3.0…• BiotechnologyBiotechnology

• Where will this happen?Where will this happen? University only one of many factorsUniversity only one of many factors


This is only part of the story..This is only part of the story..

Manufacturing about 13 per cent of Manufacturing about 13 per cent of UK economyUK economy

Growth in:Growth in:• HealthcareHealthcare• LeisureLeisure• FinanceFinance• EducationEducation


Soft powerSoft power

Governments appreciate thisGovernments appreciate this British Council et alBritish Council et al Cheaper and more reliable than warCheaper and more reliable than war China > 240 Confucius InstitutesChina > 240 Confucius Institutes Universities major poles of soft powerUniversities major poles of soft power Not a clear distinctionNot a clear distinction


Other pressuresOther pressures

BolognaBologna GATSGATS Asian growthAsian growth BTABTA LambertLambert


Is it compulsory?Is it compulsory?

No it isn’tNo it isn’t 4,000 universities cannot all be 4,000 universities cannot all be

HarvardHarvard Costs time and moneyCosts time and money Perfectly valid decision not to get Perfectly valid decision not to get

involvedinvolved Risks: eg Chinese provisionRisks: eg Chinese provision


Measuring top universitiesMeasuring top universities

Started in 2004Started in 2004 No agreed way to do thisNo agreed way to do this We decided on a novel approachWe decided on a novel approach Work with QS Quacquarelli SymondsWork with QS Quacquarelli Symonds Key issue: data consistency and data Key issue: data consistency and data

relevancerelevance


Things that don’t workThings that don’t work

US News: 18 main columnsUS News: 18 main columns Likewise Times GUG, Macleans et alLikewise Times GUG, Macleans et al Rich data in national systemsRich data in national systems

- Library costs- Library costs

- Alumni giving- Alumni giving

- Completion- Completion

- Course cost - Course cost


Instead…Instead…

Look for measures of:Look for measures of:

Academic qualityAcademic quality

EmployabilityEmployability

Research Research

TeachingTeaching

Global reachGlobal reach


Universities mustUniversities must

Teach in at least two of the five Teach in at least two of the five areasareas

Teach undergraduatesTeach undergraduates Omit Rockefeller, UCSFOmit Rockefeller, UCSF Include LSEInclude LSE Meant to cover large general Meant to cover large general

institutionsinstitutions Science specialists show up well tooScience specialists show up well too


On a world scaleOn a world scale

We think academics know about We think academics know about universitiesuniversities

So we ask themSo we ask them 6,354 this time6,354 this time What do you know about?What do you know about? Who is good at it?Who is good at it? About 126,000 data pointsAbout 126,000 data points


Who?Who?

Chart 1: Job classifications of respondents to 2008 Academic Peer Review

Pres ident / Vice-Chancel lor

Vice-Pres ident / Deputy Vice-Chancel lor

Senior Adminis trator

Head of Department

Professor / Associate Professor

Senior Lecturer

LecturerResearch Specia l i s t

Adminis trator / Functional Manager

Research Ass is tant

Teaching Ass is tant

Admiss ions Offi cer

Librarian / Library Ass is tant

Other


Balance…Balance…

Subject areasSubject areas

Social sciencesSocial sciences

Arts and humanitiesArts and humanities

ScienceScience

TechnologyTechnology

BiomedicineBiomedicine LocationsLocations


Likewise employersLikewise employers

Where do you like to recruit?Where do you like to recruit? Major multinational employersMajor multinational employers 2,339 in 20082,339 in 2008 This means another 35,000 data This means another 35,000 data

pointspoints These make half your possible scoreThese make half your possible score


ResearchResearch

Citations/ 5 years from ScopusCitations/ 5 years from Scopus Per person not per paperPer person not per paper Well-known biases in subject, Well-known biases in subject,

language etclanguage etc 20 per cent20 per cent


TeachingTeaching

Staff/student ratioStaff/student ratio Looks simple but..Looks simple but..

Also 20 per centAlso 20 per cent


Global reachGlobal reach

International staffInternational staff International studentsInternational students 5 per cent each5 per cent each Netherlands problemNetherlands problem

Are these people serious about being Are these people serious about being international?international?Is this a place people want to be?Is this a place people want to be?


What it is not …What it is not …Pos. Team Pld W D L GF GA Pts

1 AZ 19 15 2 2 41 11 47

2 Ajax 19 13 2 4 45 20 41

3 Twente 19 12 4 3 37 18 40

4 Heerenveen 19 10 5 4 41 38 35

5 PSV 19 9 5 5 33 20 32

6 NAC 19 9 4 6 29 28 31

7 Groningen 19 9 3 7 38 25 30

8 NEC 19 7 6 6 27 22 27

9 Utrecht 19 7 6 6 27 25 27

10 Willem II 19 7 4 8 25 28 25

11 Heracles 19 5 6 8 20 30 21

12 Feyenoord 19 5 5 9 32 30 20

13 Sparta 19 5 5 9 34 45 20

14 Den Haag 19 5 4 10 22 28 19

15 Vitesse 19 3 7 9 16 32 16

16 De Graafschap 19 4 4 11 13 36 16

17 Roda 19 3 6 10 22 37 15

18 Volendam 19 3 2 14 19 48 11


““That table does not lie”That table does not lie”


What it showsWhat it shows

Harvard is pretty goodHarvard is pretty good US and UK 87/200US and UK 87/200 Canada, Australia, continental Canada, Australia, continental

EuropeEurope But 32 nations have a university hereBut 32 nations have a university here Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa,

ArgentinaArgentina


Europeans..Europeans..

Ireland 2Ireland 2 Germany 11 cf Japan 10Germany 11 cf Japan 10 Netherlands 11Netherlands 11 Greece 1, Italy 1, Spain 1Greece 1, Italy 1, Spain 1 France 4France 4 Belgium 5, Sweden 4, Denmark 3, Belgium 5, Sweden 4, Denmark 3,

Norway 1, Finland 1, Russia 1Norway 1, Finland 1, Russia 1


Too English?Too English?

Yes but…Yes but… Especially in arts and cultureEspecially in arts and culture Science and technology less of an Science and technology less of an

issueissue Teaching and publishing in AsiaTeaching and publishing in Asia Not an argument about universitiesNot an argument about universities


New this yearNew this year

System strengthSystem strength

- Top 40 countriesTop 40 countries

- Four broad measuresFour broad measures

- Highly experimentalHighly experimental


They are:They are:

Number and position of universities Number and position of universities in top 600in top 600

Students per head (to be exact, Students per head (to be exact, square root)square root)

Top institutionTop institution Economic, uses GDP/CapitaEconomic, uses GDP/Capita


The winners…The winners…

US and UKUS and UK Germany 4Germany 4 France 7France 7 Netherlands 8Netherlands 8 Norway places badly because of oilNorway places badly because of oil


The competitionThe competition

Not even wrong: Webometrics, Not even wrong: Webometrics, Ecole des Mines (apologies to Peter Ecole des Mines (apologies to Peter

Woit)Woit) Shanghai Jiao TongShanghai Jiao Tong

• Nobel PrizesNobel Prizes• Papers in Science and NaturePapers in Science and Nature• But 146/200But 146/200• Cf Ton van RaanCf Ton van Raan• HEEACTHEEACT


First impactFirst impact

International industryInternational industry IREGIREG Berlin PrinciplesBerlin Principles Leiden, Tsinghua et alLeiden, Tsinghua et al Hope they’ll say thank you to THEHope they’ll say thank you to THE


More importantly..More importantly..

Big media interestBig media interest 24 articles in the Mexican press 200424 articles in the Mexican press 2004 Especially from AsiaEspecially from Asia Also continental Europe and UKAlso continental Europe and UK Far less from USFar less from US


Response is…Response is…

Reject the whole idea (German Reject the whole idea (German rectors)rectors)

Complain about their positionComplain about their position Ask how to do betterAsk how to do better


So here is the answer:So here is the answer:

Be visible around the world as an Be visible around the world as an excellent institutionexcellent institution

Produce graduates people want to Produce graduates people want to hirehire

Produce papers people want to citeProduce papers people want to cite Have enough staff to teach your Have enough staff to teach your

studentsstudents Be attractive to overseas staff and Be attractive to overseas staff and

studentsstudents


But the real surprise..But the real surprise..

THE (previously THES) since 1971THE (previously THES) since 1971 Always written about universities and Always written about universities and

HE around the worldHE around the world Nobody ever noticedNobody ever noticed


Because of the Rankings:Because of the Rankings:

Heisenberg in actionHeisenberg in action

THE turned into something that THE turned into something that anyone running a university anyone running a university anywhere in the world has to know anywhere in the world has to know about about


First group: politiciansFirst group: politicians

Do UK universities need more Do UK universities need more money?money?

Or are they fine as they are?Or are they fine as they are?

US/UK comparisonUS/UK comparison


GermanyGermany

Rectors like things as they areRectors like things as they are Government doesn’t agreeGovernment doesn’t agree Only one winnerOnly one winner Excellence initiativeExcellence initiative €€1.9 billion1.9 billion Nine institutionsNine institutions


KoreaKorea

Peak of world interestPeak of world interest Presidential candidatesPresidential candidates About eight institutions want to be in About eight institutions want to be in

top 100top 100 Can’t all succeedCan’t all succeed General interest in other people’s General interest in other people’s

views of their societiesviews of their societies


Pushing systems ..Pushing systems ..

TowardsTowards

ConcentrationConcentration

New reward mechanismsNew reward mechanisms

InternationalisationInternationalisation

But away from local, cheap, mass But away from local, cheap, mass provisionprovision


The futureThe future

Likely to growLikely to grow Likely to get betterLikely to get better THE to internalise processTHE to internalise process

University rankings and reputation University rankings and reputation practice: [email protected]: [email protected]


Really the last slideReally the last slide

Thank you to..Thank you to..

Ann Mroz and colleagues at THEAnn Mroz and colleagues at THE Nunzio Quacquarelli, Ben Sowter and Nunzio Quacquarelli, Ben Sowter and

colleagues at QScolleagues at QS Staff of Scopus Staff of Scopus You for your attentionYou for your attention

Documents

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Leiden Rankings Conference, February 6 and 7, 2009