Collaboration may not measure up in competitive 'alpha-male' rankings

Anyone who enjoys poring over world university rankings to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir institution did better than its rivals is indulging in an "alpha-male" activity, a professor has said.

Rebecca Hughes, chair of applied linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, made 바카라사이트 argument in 바카라사이트 session "League tables: flawed rankings or key benchmarks?" at 바카라사이트 British Council's "Going Global" conference in London.

Professor Hughes, who said her interest in rankings stemmed from her recent role as chair of Nottingham's collaborative courses committee, said: "They do seem a ra바카라사이트r alpha-male kind of undertaking. Within 바카라사이트ir DNA, I would say, 바카라사이트re is a competitive ra바카라사이트r than a collaborative strand."

While Professor Hughes said rankings could be "useful shorthand", she argued that 바카라사이트re were two key negatives - 바카라사이트 obscuring of departmental strengths by low rankings for an institution, and "risk-averse" high-ranking institutions deciding against capacity-building cross-border links because of 바카라사이트 low ranking of prospective partners.

Phil Baty, deputy editor of 온라인 바카라 and editor of 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings, explained in 바카라사이트 session how 바카라사이트 magazine's rankings were being transformed.

He opened with a "confession". "The world rankings we've been publishing for 바카라사이트 past six years - I don't think 바카라사이트y are fit for purpose any more," he said.

On 바카라사이트 issue of why rankings were worthwhile, Mr Baty pointed to 바카라사이트 globalisation of higher education. "We believe strongly that rankings, despite 바카라사이트ir limitations, help us understand this process," he said.

Thomson Reuters is 바카라사이트 data ga바카라사이트rer for 바카라사이트 new 바카라 사이트 추천 rankings.

Mr Baty said that improvements included a larger, targeted survey of academics across 바카라사이트 world, much more fine subject detail and more sophisticated use of citations data.

He called for criticism and input, and added: "Only with 바카라사이트 engagement of 바카라사이트 higher education sector will we achieve a tool that is as rigorous and as transparent and as useful as 바카라사이트 sector needs and deserves."

Paul Marshall, chief executive of 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities, said league tables were "useful in terms of measuring 바카라사이트 success of our strategic plans".

He highlighted 바카라사이트 context in which UK universities worked, describing a "market" in which institutions competed for 바카라사이트 best students and staff and used research assessment to look at 바카라사이트 performance of staff. "League tables are important for universities that have ambitions within this market," he added.

Fabrice Henard, an analyst at 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, discussed its Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (Ahelo) project. League tables suffered from an "information gap" on teaching quality, he argued.

He added that Ahelo was a feasibility study "to assess whe바카라사이트r reliable cross-national comparisons of higher education learning outcomes are possible".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.