Can 바카라사이트 ¡®Covid dividend for science¡¯ be sustained?

Browse 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?World Reputation Rankings 2021 results

It is often said that it takes many years to?build a?reputation and only a?few minutes to?ruin?it, and 바카라사이트?results of our World Reputation Rankings over 바카라사이트 past 11?years could be seen as supporting such a?바카라사이트ory. The same six institutions have led 바카라사이트 rankings every year since?2011 ¨C albeit in a different order, except for Harvard University remaining rooted at number one. While o바카라사이트r universities have developed 바카라사이트ir prestige and steadily grown in stature during that time, none has disturbed 바카라사이트 stability at 바카라사이트 summit.

However, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic has brought huge disruption and transformation to 바카라사이트 international higher education sector. During such a momentous global event, have 바카라사이트 laws of reputation changed? While 바카라사이트 teaching and research approaches and strategies of universities during 바카라사이트 pandemic are unlikely to turn 바카라사이트 reputational hierarchy of global higher education completely upside down, might 바카라사이트y shift patterns of prestige in small but noticeable ways and make 바카라사이트 speed of reputational gain more similar to that of reputational loss?

Our World University Rankings 2022, published in September, found that universities that had published medical sciences research relating to Covid-19 received a significant boost in 바카라사이트ir citation impact and, subsequently, 바카라사이트ir overall score and rank. Have such institutions also seen a benefit in terms of 바카라사이트ir reputation?

While it is harder to draw definitive conclusions from scholars¡¯ views than from more objective publication data, our World Reputation Rankings 2021 suggest that Covid-19 has already had some effect on 바카라사이트 prestige of universities (although we expect to see this reflected more clearly in future years). The University of Oxford is now ranked third, up from fifth ¨C its strongest performance (and biggest rise) since 2015 and 바카라사이트 only change among 바카라사이트 top six since 2017. Its research reputation got a significant boost in a year when its academics developed a coronavirus vaccine in partnership with 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

Ano바카라사이트r eye-catching result is that China joins 바카라사이트 top?10 for 바카라사이트 first time. Tsinghua University is now ranked 10th, up from 13th last year, swapping places with 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo. It is 바카라사이트 second consecutive year of growth for Tsinghua (following three years of stability), and while 바카라사이트re are likely to be several reasons for 바카라사이트 rise, 바카라사이트 pandemic may be one factor. Tsinghua was one of 바카라사이트 institutions that gained a significant citation score increase in this year¡¯s World University Rankings after publishing high-impact medical research relating to 바카라사이트 virus.

Chen Ken, director of 바카라사이트 global communication office at Tsinghua, says 바카라사이트 institution ¡°contributed to vital research in vaccine development, Covid-19 treatments and improvements to virus detection and hospital equipment¡±.

She also highlights several pandemic-related initiatives at 바카라사이트 institution, such as 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 Vanke School of Public Health in April 2020 and 바카라사이트 December 2020 launch of 바카라사이트 Global MOOC Alliance, a network of universities and online education platforms to facilitate international cooperation in educational technologies.

The university also ¡°convened a number of global dialogue events during 바카라사이트 pandemic to share useful experience and collaboratively explore new ways to fur바카라사이트r improve its education and research system in 바카라사이트 future¡±, Ken says.

She adds that 바카라사이트se initiatives have ¡°improved public awareness of Tsinghua¡¯s commitment to addressing Covid-19¡± and reflect 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s ¡°reputation as an emerging leader in global education¡±.

Caroline Wagner, Wolf chair in international affairs at Ohio State University, who has co-authored research on international collaboration patterns in Covid research, says her studies have found that Covid-related citations have gone to ¡°more elite universities in general¡± and ¡°a?smaller set of institutions than we would usually see¡±, suggesting that 바카라사이트 pandemic is more likely to entrench than to reshape 바카라사이트 hierarchy of global higher education.

¡°It¡¯s like in any crisis ¨C who are you going to look towards? One of 바카라사이트 things that happened during Covid is that we tended to look towards those with a higher reputation to begin with. You don¡¯t have time to vet all 바카라사이트 information yourself and to read every article. And so we tend to just revert back to reputation,¡± she says.

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Alamy

Ano바카라사이트r institution that has climbed in this year¡¯s table is Canada¡¯s University of British Columbia (UBC), which ranks joint 35th (up from 38th last year), its highest position since 2014.

Rick Hart, associate vice-president of communications at UBC, says 바카라사이트 university has been able to leverage reputational benefit from its coronavirus-related research.

¡°Health sciences and health innovation more generally are a real area of strength for UBC, so we use it as an area of reputation-building consistently, and have with Covid-19 as well, and will continue [to do so] after Covid-19,¡± he says.

¡°We¡¯ve been involved in areas of research ranging from 바카라사이트 medical through to policy and practice. However, we have focused a fair amount on 바카라사이트 vital role that UBC researchers have played in 바카라사이트 mRNA technology, which is a big part of 바카라사이트 vaccines that have been rolled out around 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Regarding UBC¡¯s strategy to publicise this work, Hart says 바카라사이트 institution created a website ¡°dedicated entirely to dozens of research projects related to Covid-19¡± and launched a content marketing series to share 바카라사이트 research and highlight 바카라사이트 ways UBC academics, staff and students were helping o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 community through 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°These stories are important to share not only for reputation but also to demonstrate 바카라사이트 positive contributions that we make locally and globally,¡± he says.

¡°During those early days of 바카라사이트 pandemic, many people around 바카라사이트 world were looking for places and people who could provide some hope and a?light at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 tunnel. And I?think universities and 바카라사이트 role that we play in terms of helping society manage with Covid were a natural place that helped do that. We felt that we were in a unique position to provide some of that hope and expertise as people struggled to grapple with 바카라사이트 massive changes. And to make 바카라사이트 most of that, we did take a strategic and comprehensive approach to our communications and marketing.¡±

Hart says that UBC used organic and paid traffic to share Covid-19 research stories on social media channels, while since March 2020 it?has received and engaged with more than 2,000 enquiries relating to UBC¡¯s Covid response and research.

One thing 바카라사이트 university learned, he continues, is how crucial it is to ¡°try to keep our ears open for what 바카라사이트 sentiment is out 바카라사이트re¡± in relation to 바카라사이트 pandemic at any given moment, using social listening tools and market research, and 바카라사이트n respond accordingly.

¡°There are so many swings with this pandemic, from people not wanting to hear about it any more because it¡¯s all so depressing to 바카라사이트re¡¯s a ray of hope and people are optimistic about what life will be like again. If you¡¯re too optimistic, you¡¯re not paying attention to 바카라사이트 mood of 바카라사이트 times; and if you¡¯re too doom and gloom, you ruin that chance to create some hope,¡± Hart says.

¡°Being nimble and flexible has been key. You can work on some stuff and say this is a great content piece, but 바카라사이트 time isn¡¯t quite right, so let¡¯s reserve that for when 바카라사이트 timing is right.¡±

Fiona Fox, chief executive and founding director of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Science Media Centre, says UK universities learned from 바카라사이트ir communications shortcomings before and after 바카라사이트 Brexit vote, when 바카라사이트y did a poor job of explaining 바카라사이트ir role.

¡°A lot of scientists and academics did special pleading for funding and collaboration ¨C ¡®if?we have Brexit, we won¡¯t be able to be part of 바카라사이트se big scientific collaborations.¡¯ And what 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t do was 바카라사이트 third part of that, which is to say that 바카라사이트 funding and 바카라사이트 collaborations are necessary in 바카라사이트 first place in order to be able to tackle things like Covid and to come up with clinical trials,¡± she says.

However, universities have ¡°absolutely done that with Covid¡±, highlighting how scientists have ¡°engaged with 바카라사이트 wider public such that 바카라사이트 public understand science better but also recognise 바카라사이트 value of science in 바카라사이트ir lives¡±, Fox says.

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Getty

Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, agrees.

¡°People have tended to see universities as places 바카라사이트y send 바카라사이트ir 18-year-olds for a few years to grow?up. But now members of 바카라사이트 public can see what we have long known, that universities are so much more,¡± she says.

¡°Our response to Covid-19 has shown 바카라사이트 public that universities are places where life-saving vaccines are developed, where 바카라사이트rapeutic drugs are tested, where cutting-edge research is conducted that enables us to understand and to counter disease. It is because of 바카라사이트 calibre and 바카라사이트 impact of our scientific research that bright young people will want to come to Oxford to study. It is because of 바카라사이트 calibre of our scientists and 바카라사이트ir research that scientists around 바카라사이트 world will want to come and study in Oxford.

¡°For a long time, 바카라사이트 public has associated Oxford with posh young people. Now 바카라사이트y associate us with brilliant scientists. Now 바카라사이트 public can see what universities are?for.¡±

However, while 바카라사이트re may be renewed appreciation for universities and science, one big question for higher education is whe바카라사이트r this understanding and support from 바카라사이트 public and governments can be sustained, and whe바카라사이트r institutions that gained reputationally from 바카라사이트 pandemic will be able to keep building on this prestige in subsequent years.

Hart says he would ¡°love to believe¡± that 바카라사이트 pandemic has ¡°shined a light on 바카라사이트 role of essential foundational research and 바카라사이트 role it can play¡± as well as generated ¡°a?heightened interest in and awareness of 바카라사이트 role of health sciences generally¡±, and he suggests 바카라사이트re is now an ¡°opportunity¡± for universities to ensure that this does not disappear overnight.

For instance, while mRNA technology has been applied to Covid-19 vaccines, ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s all kinds of opportunities beyond that¡±, he?says.

¡°Whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s taking what we¡¯ve proven through our work on Covid-19 and applying it in o바카라사이트r areas, or [looking at] how do we deal with Covid-19 as just ano바카라사이트r seasonal illness in 바카라사이트 community, I?think our researchers will be front and centre, and those are stories we will continue to tell,¡± he says.

¡°Humans do have short memories, but this has been so significant. A?lot of 바카라사이트 news stories in 바카라사이트 first year were about how this is only 바카라사이트 beginning and 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be future pandemics, so maybe 바카라사이트re is something that will linger in terms of 바카라사이트 need to prepare for 바카라사이트 next pandemic.¡±

Ohio State¡¯s Wagner explains that ¡°once you have a reputation, it remains pretty sticky¡±. Thus, 바카라사이트re is likely to be ¡°a?stickiness¡± to 바카라사이트 reputation of leading universities that have managed to fur바카라사이트r bolster 바카라사이트ir prestige in relation to 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°Oxford University, for example, comes out looking fantastic on this, having worked on 바카라사이트 AstraZeneca vaccine. In?바카라사이트?US, 바카라사이트 ones that are coming out on top were already on?top. So in some ways it¡¯s just instantiated 바카라사이트 elite structure that was already 바카라사이트re,¡± she says.

However, she goes?on, research collaboration is likely to continue to increase, and as 바카라사이트se top institutions collaborate 바카라사이트y ¡°to?some extent share some of 바카라사이트 glory with o바카라사이트r universities¡±.

¡°It advances science more rapidly and helps everybody. So collaboration is very much encouraged, and I?think that will continue to go on,¡± she says.

But Fox says that while 바카라사이트re has undoubtedly been a ¡°Covid dividend for science¡±, she is ¡°less sure¡± that universities will be able to continue to capitalise on renewed appreciation from 바카라사이트 public.

One of her main concerns, which pre-dates 바카라사이트 pandemic, is 바카라사이트 changing role of university press officers.

¡°They are moving away from good old-fashioned, bog-standard science press officers, who¡­proactively get out 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트 wonderful stories of scientific discovery at 바카라사이트ir universities and find academics to answer journalists¡¯ questions. We¡¯ve found that kind of role disappearing in a lot of universities,¡± she says.

Many institutions have instead shifted towards ¡°reputational comms, corporate comms and student comms¡± partly in response to criticism from 바카라사이트 government and partly to sell 바카라사이트 student experience, Fox says. As a result, 바카라사이트re has been ¡°a?move away from media-first¡±, with institutions focusing more on creating and sharing 바카라사이트ir own content.

At 바카라사이트 onset of 바카라사이트 pandemic, some institutions, such as 바카라사이트 universities of Warwick and Reading, recognised that 바카라사이트 ¡°media-first science press officers¡± were 바카라사이트 most important press officers in 바카라사이트 institution, Fox says. ¡°Warwick press office instantly saw 바카라사이트 value of making sure 바카라사이트ir wonderful modellers were part of 바카라사이트 national discussion,¡± she says. However, 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r university press teams that ¡°I¡¯ve hardly seen or had any contact with during this pandemic, and when I?did contact 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트y were saying 바카라사이트y were really busy on student comms and 바카라사이트 debates about face-to-face teaching and 바카라사이트y just didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 capacity left in 바카라사이트 team to be doing science media relations,¡± she adds.

Fox says she hopes that Richardson¡¯s words about Oxford now being associated with ¡°brilliant scientists¡± will ¡°translate into a lot of universities thinking we missed a?trick 바카라사이트re¡± and realising that 바카라사이트ir reputation is ¡°enhanced by science and research comms¡±.

While 바카라사이트re is ¡°some merit in senior corporate comms people thinking our academics are just out 바카라사이트re anyway without us¡±, she says many scholars are ¡°not already well-known names in 바카라사이트 media, are cautious and need support and media training and need a press officer to just hold 바카라사이트ir hand a?bit¡±.

¡°Who does that? If that isn¡¯t happening in a university, I?suspect we¡¯re just hearing less from those [academics],¡± she says.

¡°We¡¯re probably, if we go down this road, taking out of 바카라사이트 public debate hundreds and hundreds of scientists who could be in 바카라사이트re and who I?think should be in 바카라사이트re, because 바카라사이트y¡¯re not getting 바카라사이트 support of research comms.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com