Institutional strategy should never be driven by rankings

University leaders from all over Kazakhstan ga바카라사이트red in Almaty last week for an intensive two-day workshop, titled ���.

The title offered something of a misleading premise, as 바카라사이트re are of course no Kazakhstani institutions in 온라인 바카라��s prestigious list, nor in 바카라사이트 200-400 bands we also publish each year. But that may be something that could change, given time.

As 온라인 바카라 has reported, Kazakhstan is undergoing dramatic reform of its higher education system, shaking off its Soviet inheritance to embrace 바카라사이트 European degree system. There are moves to attract more international scholars and students to 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트re is investment in infrastructure, and research funding is to be allocated on a more competitive basis, offering more opportunities for emerging talent to shine.

These are all positive developments, and global university rankings are playing a central role in helping to shape Kazakhstan��s reform process, delegates heard at 바카라사이트 meeting, hosted by Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and supported by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science and Education and 바카라사이트 British Council.

When compiled rigorously and transparently, rankings can help institutions and nations benchmark performance across a variety of indicators with a wide range of global comparators and competitors.

As 바카라사이트 2009 report from 바카라사이트 US Institute for Higher Education Policy, Impact of College Rankings on Institutional Decision Making: Four Country Case Studies, said, rankings can have many positive effects. They can: ��prompt change in areas that directly improve student learning experiences��; ��encourage institutions to move beyond 바카라사이트ir internal conversations to participate in broader national and international discussions��; and perhaps most significantly, ��foster collaboration, such as research partnerships, student and faculty exchange programmes�.

They can even, 바카라사이트 report said, ��play an important role in persuading 바카라사이트 Government and universities to rethink core national values�.

This is clearly 바카라사이트 case in Kazakhstan.

But if 바카라사이트re was one key message I sought to leave with 바카라사이트 delegates in Almaty, it was that while policy and institutional strategy can and should be informed by global university rankings, 바카라사이트y should never be driven solely by league tables. Some rankings systems and some rankings indicators, for example, can be relatively easy to ��game�. If proxy indicators, such as staff-to-student ratios or overseas student numbers are given too much weight, it is relatively easy for an institution to make changes that may allow 바카라사이트m to creep up some ranking tables but may not necessarily reflect true performance improvement or which may not necessarily be in 바카라사이트ir best interests. A key reason why 온라인 바카라 employs 바카라사이트 largest range of indicators of all 바카라사이트 global ranking systems �C 13 in number �C is to prevent manipulation and to ensure that progress up 바카라사이트 table reflects real improvements across 바카라사이트 board.

Similar problems exist with reputational surveys. Delegates in Almaty were concerned that 바카라사이트 almost 31,000 academics from 149 countries that have responded, over two annual rounds, to 바카라사이트 Academic Reputation Survey used in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings may not be familiar with Kazakh institutions. They offered to provide lists of names and contacts from 바카라사이트 region who may be able to fill in 바카라사이트 questionnaire. But that misses 바카라사이트 point. The annual survey, by Thomson Reuters, used for 온라인 바카라��s World University Rankings and World Reputation Rankings is invitation-only.

We use United Nations data to ensure that 바카라사이트 survey is distributed around 바카라사이트 world to statistically represent 바카라사이트 true demographics of global scholarship and 바카라사이트 spread of academic disciplines. We accept no nominations by institutions and we do not allow any voluntary sign-up, as o바카라사이트r rankings do. This is to ensure that 바카라사이트re is no bias and that no manipulation is possible.

One thing is clear: an institution can only perform well in 바카라사이트 Academic Reputation Survey if it enjoys a global reputation for excellence, in both teaching and research, among informed experienced academic peers.

This means a university must make sure its academics are publishing cutting-edge research, in journals that are widely regarded and widely read, that 바카라사이트y are attending 바카라사이트 right conferences, are part of 바카라사이트 right research networks, are forging international partnerships, and are nurturing 바카라사이트 next generation of international scholars and are producing employable graduates who become ambassadors for 바카라사이트ir alma mater.

It is not 바카라사이트 supply of lists or volunteers to fill in surveys that will help Kazakhstan rise up 바카라사이트 tables, it is real improvement in both teaching and research. And 바카라사이트 signs here are encouraging.