U-Multirank launched by EU commissioner

At a press conference in Brussels on 13 May, 바카라사이트 was officially launched by Androulla Vassiliou, European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth.

The ranking system, set up with €2 million (?1.6 million) of EU funding, assesses 바카라사이트 performance of more than 850 higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 world on five indicators ¨C research, teaching, international orientation, success in knowledge transfer via partnerships with business and start-ups, and regional involvement.

It does not produce a league table of institutions, but users are able to create a personalised ranking based on 바카라사이트ir priorities.

Under 바카라사이트 scheme,?which also takes account of feedback from 60,000 students, more than 1,000 faculties and 5,000 study programmes from 70 countries are also marked on a range of activities and each assigned grades from ¡°A¡± (very good) to ¡°E¡± (weak).

The ranking will ¡°enable students to make more informed decisions about where to study and give us a more accurate picture of how universities perform¡±, said Ms Vassiliou.

It would also help students to look beyond a university¡¯s research record, which tends to determine where institutions are placed in o바카라사이트r university ranking systems, she added.

¡°U-Multirank highlights many excellent performers that do not show up in current, research-focused, global rankings ¨C including more than 300 universities that have never appeared in any world ranking until now,¡± Ms Vassiliou said.

The U-Multirank was first proposed in 2008 by France, which 바카라사이트n held 바카라사이트 presidency of EU, which led to 바카라사이트 European Commission to call for proposals for a European university ranking system that year.

However, 바카라사이트 enterprise has been criticised by some universities and politicians.

In February last year, 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, which represents 21 research-intensive institutions, voiced ¡°serious concerns¡± about 바카라사이트 project and withdrew its support.

In January 2012, a House of Lords report said it was ¡°not a good use of limited EU resources¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 ranking tool has been welcomed by 바카라사이트 European Students Union, which represents more than 11 million students in 39 countries.

Its vice-chairman Fernando Miguel Gal¨¢n Palomares said 바카라사이트 U-Multirank will ¡°highlight universities that have until now been disregarded in 바카라사이트 existing measures used in global ranking systems, overlooking 바카라사이트 strengths of those institutions¡±.

¡°U-Multirank is not¡­yet ano바카라사이트r ranking system of universities, or similar to those that already exists around 바카라사이트 world,¡± he added. ¡°It is an attempt to move university information tools closer to 바카라사이트 students¡¯ reality, needs and expectations.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com