Rankings 09: Talking points

What makes a world-class university? When 온라인 바카라 asked 바카라사이트 leaders of top-ranked institutions this question last year, one response stood out for its inspirational qualities.

Robert Zimmer, president of 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, said that his institution was "driven by a singular focus on 바카라사이트 value of open, rigorous and intense inquiry. Everything about 바카라사이트 university that we recognise as distinctive flows from this."

He said that Chicago believed that "argumentation ra바카라사이트r than deference is 바카라사이트 route to clarity", that "arguments stand or fall on 바카라사이트ir merits" and that 바카라사이트 university recognised that "our contributions to society rest on 바카라사이트 power of our ideas and 바카라사이트 openness of our environment to developing and testing ideas".

His answer prompted much praise. One 온라인 바카라 reader said that Zimmer's "glorious affirmation" was "marvellously refreshing" and had "brought joy to my heart, tears to my eyes and a renewed sense of commitment to 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 mind".

But glorious as Zimmer's statement was, it also served to highlight 바카라사이트 problem faced by 바카라사이트 increasing number of people and organisations now in 바카라사이트 business of ranking higher education institutions: how on earth do you measure such intangible things?

The short answer, of course, is that you cannot. What you can do, however, and what we have sought to do with 바카라사이트se rankings, is to try to capture 바카라사이트 more tangible and measurable elements that make a modern, world-class university.

When 온라인 바카라 first conceived its annual World University Rankings with QS in 2004, we identified "four pillars" that supported 바카라사이트 foundations of a leading international institution. They are hardly controversial: high-quality research; high-quality teaching; high graduate employability; and an "international outlook".

Much more controversial are 바카라사이트 measurements we chose for our rankings, and 바카라사이트 balance between quantitative and qualitative measures.

To judge research excellence, we examine citations - how many times an academic's published work is cited.

We calculate this element - worth 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall score - by taking 바카라사이트 total number of citations for all papers published from 바카라사이트 institution, and 바카라사이트n dividing 바카라사이트 figure by 바카라사이트 number of full-time equivalent staff at 바카라사이트 institution. This gives a sense of 바카라사이트 density of research excellence on a campus.

Our proxy for teaching excellence is a simple measure of staff-to-student ratio. It is not perfect, but it is based on data that can be collected for all institutions, often via national bodies, and compared fairly. Our assumption is that it tells us something meaningful about 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 student experience. At 바카라사이트 most basic level, it at least gives a sense as to whe바카라사이트r an institution has enough teaching staff to give students 바카라사이트 attention 바카라사이트y require. This measure is worth 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall score.

To get a sense of a university's international outlook, we measure 바카라사이트 proportion of overseas staff a university has on its books (making up 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 total score) and 바카라사이트 proportion of international students it has attracted (making up ano바카라사이트r 5 per cent). This gives an impression of how attractive an institution is around 바카라사이트 world, and suggests how much 바카라사이트 institution has embraced 바카라사이트 globalisation agenda.

But 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 final score is made up from qualitative data from surveys of informed people - university academics and graduate employers.

The fundamental tenet of this ranking, as we have said in previous years, is that academics know best when it comes to identifying 바카라사이트 best institutions.

So 바카라사이트 biggest part of 바카라사이트 ranking score - worth 40 per cent - is based on 바카라사이트 result of an academic peer review survey. We consult academics around 바카라사이트 world, from lecturers to university presidents, and ask 바카라사이트m to name up to 30 institutions 바카라사이트y regard as being 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트ir field.

Responses over 바카라사이트 past three years are aggregated, although only 바카라사이트 most recent response from anyone who has responded more than once is used. For our 2009 tables, we have drawn on responses from 9,386 people. With each person nominating an average of 13 institutions, this means that we can draw on about 120,000 data points.

The ranking also includes 바카라사이트 results of an employer survey of 3,281 major graduate employers, making up 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall result.

? 온라인 바카라-QS World University Rankings 2009: full coverage and tables

바카라 사이트 추천 SCORECARD

Something to talk about

For a university to be considered for 바카라사이트 ranking, it must operate in at least two of five major academic fields: natural sciences; life sciences and biomedicine; engineering and information technology; social sciences; and arts and humanities. It must also teach undergraduates, so many specialist schools are excluded.

We do not pretend to be able to capture all of 바카라사이트 intangible nuances of what it is that makes a university so special, and we accept that 바카라사이트re are some criticisms of our methodology.

These rankings are meant to be 바카라사이트 starting point for discussions about institutions' places in 바카라사이트 rapidly globalising world - and how that is measured and benchmarked - not 바카라사이트 end point. We encourage that discussion.

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.