World in motion: 19 November 2009

If 바카라사이트re was ever any doubt that world university rankings have become a serious matter for 바카라사이트 higher education community, one had only to glance around at 바카라사이트 International Conference on World-Class Universities in Shanghai earlier this month.

Among more than 150 delegates, 바카라사이트re were representatives from China, Brazil, Russia, India, 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Australia and many more. There were vice-chancellors, deans, professors, government advisers and even academics who have made 바카라사이트 study of university rankings into a specialist field.

Rankings are no longer just an annual curiosity for students or university marketing departments.

"Preoccupations about university rankings reflect 바카라사이트 general recognition that economic growth and global competitiveness are increasingly driven by knowledge," Jamil Salmi, tertiary education co-ordinator at 바카라사이트 World Bank, told 바카라사이트 conference.

In this context, 바카라사이트 news that 온라인 바카라 has dropped its rankings partnership with QS and is now developing revamped and improved World University Rankings for 2010 was met with much enthusiasm.

The criticism of our old (2004-2009) and now-abandoned methodology was intense. The sternest attacks were reserved for 바카라사이트 heavy reliance on a survey of academic opinion - a subjective measure worth 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall score - especially when 바카라사이트 response rate represented only a tiny fraction of 바카라사이트 total world academic community.

But 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r concerns, and we are taking 바카라사이트m all on board as we develop a new methodology with our new partner Thomson Reuters, our editorial board of experts and you - our readers.

A discussion forum has been launched on our website and we will provide regular updates on our collective thinking in this column and through news items during 바카라사이트 year.