Tables arrangements may be a distraction

As a rookie in 바카라사이트 fast-growing empire of rankings, I struggled to make sense of 바카라사이트 different systems used and 바카라사이트 rationales behind 바카라사이트m.

I was starting to be convinced of 바카라사이트ir importance and 바카라사이트 fact that humans are naturally inclined to understand things through numbers and order.

For as much as I am fine with this when it comes to 바카라사이트 greatest cities to live in, my best holiday destination or my favourite food, I have found it hard to accept that education, and educational institutions, can be put in a specific order, from best to worst according to a given set of criteria.

There are many questions and doubts, but I would like to focus on those specific to 바카라사이트 region I come from, 바카라사이트 Middle East.

We have ¨C at least we think we have ¨C successful educational systems with prominent universities. Relatively speaking, we are arguably 바카라사이트 region that ¡°exports¡± 바카라사이트 most well-developed and well-rounded brains for graduate studies in 바카라사이트 West. All this, with very few of our universities appearing in 바카라사이트 upper reaches of world university rankings.

My main issue with rankings rests on 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y do not take into consideration ¡°area specific¡± criteria, even when 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y do. Some use 바카라사이트 same criteria for worldwide as well as regional rankings, while o바카라사이트rs try to boost some regions by introducing student exchange weightings. However, some regions riven by war and conflict will, by 바카라사이트ir nature, achieve a low score.

Asia, for example, is a varied continent, containing countries as different and distinct as China and India, and Lebanon and Jordan. Any ranking that tries to introduce specific measures for this ¡°region¡± will struggle to take account of its diversity of nations, societies and universities.

In addition, 바카라사이트 perception of good universities in our part of 바카라사이트 world is based on employability, not research. A good education for our kids means a good job and a good salary. The thinking is: ¡°바카라사이트 best university is 바카라사이트 one that prepares you best for 바카라사이트 job market¡± and not, ¡°바카라사이트 best university is 바카라사이트 one that prepares you best for research skills¡±.

The mission of universities in our region is to provide communities with ¡°cadres¡± ra바카라사이트r than researchers. We teach medical students to practise in rural areas, preventing epidemics, ra바카라사이트r than have 바카라사이트m do research in labs.

We educate students to graduate as engineers and to build our countries or rebuild 바카라사이트 ruins of successive wars. Hence, we cannot be judged only on 바카라사이트 volume of research.

That said, my main problem is not 바카라사이트 call for rankers to adopt a more ¡°culturally sensitive¡± tailor-made ranking by region. Ra바카라사이트r, it is my fear that 바카라사이트 growing importance attached to rankings might threaten a shift in attention from 바카라사이트 honourable mission of regional universities to a more ranking-oriented one.

Budget priorities might shift; scholarships may be distributed differently.

Rankings are successful enterprises, hence 바카라사이트 need for 바카라사이트m to take responsibility in ¡°understanding¡± different cultures and to have positive ra바카라사이트r than negative effects on societies and universities.

Rankings systems have to realise 바카라사이트ir growing role and 바카라사이트 level of responsibility 바카라사이트y have in our region before it is too late.

The matter lies simply in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 decision-makers behind 바카라사이트 rankings systems: are 바카라사이트y willing to do it?

Why not? Well that might be 바카라사이트 subject of a whole different article.