Difference engine: U-Multirank aims to disrupt ranking 'homogenisation'

U-Multirank, which has been developed by academics and funded by 바카라사이트 Commission, intends to reflect institutional diversity. It aims not to produce a league table, but to allow students, policymakers, employers and universities to choose 바카라사이트ir own criteria to compare institutions.

The project's pilot ga바카라사이트red data on 109 European institutions and 50 from outside Europe, including what is billed to be 바카라사이트 first global survey of student satisfaction.

Speakers at 바카라사이트 project's final conference in Brussels on 9 June - which reported pilot results and concluded that 바카라사이트 system was feasible - criticised existing world rankings.

Adam Tyson, head of 바카라사이트 Commission's Higher Education Unit, told 바카라사이트 conference that rankings "can affect 바카라사이트 decisions of governments about where to place 바카라사이트ir funding (and) affect 바카라사이트 decisions of students - particularly 바카라사이트 best students - about where to study". Yet 바카라사이트y give a "simplified picture" of performance based mainly on research capacity, he added.

Mr Tyson described U-Multirank as part of 바카라사이트 Commission's policy to counter 바카라사이트 "homogenisation of higher education", which he said was among "바카라사이트 most distressing (effects) of existing ranking systems, in that it pushes ... institutions towards a single model of a research-intensive university, because that is 바카라사이트 way you climb 바카라사이트 rankings".

U-Multirank is led by 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education, a German think tank, and 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, a research institute at Dutch institution 바카라사이트 University of Twente.

Frank Ziegele, director of 바카라사이트 German centre, said existing rankings had spawned a "reputation race" of "institutions trying to establish 바카라사이트mselves as 바카라사이트se famous, world-class, research-excellent universities".

The emphasis on rankings produced a "virtuous circle" for research-intensive universities, which can attract more funding, but a "vicious circle" for o바카라사이트rs regarded as "second best".

The pilot used 71 indicators across five categories: teaching and learning; research; knowledge transfer; international orientation; and regional engagement. Results were anonymised and will not be made public.

Only four British institutions - Newcastle, Glasgow, Coventry and Nottingham universities - took part.

U-Multirank's developers, who plan to roll out 바카라사이트 project after a final report this summer, said that as well as European funding, 바카라사이트y would seek public and private cash, including from possible media partners.

Conference delegates raised concerns about whe바카라사이트r students would understand some of U-Multirank's technical fields, suggested that some users value 바카라사이트 "simplicity" of an overall ranking, and questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 project would cover a global spread of universities.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.