Martin Ince Communications Ltd Leiden Rankings Conference, February 6 and 7, 2009

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Information and Power Presentation by Martin Ince Contributing editor of THE Editor of the THE/QS World University Rankings

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Times Higher Education Since 1971 Since 1971 Part of TSL Education Part of TSL Education Also TES Also TES Online at Online at Me a contractor and was deputy editor Me a contractor and was deputy editor

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Why rank universities? Rapid growth of higher education Rapid growth of higher education More need for knowledge More need for knowledge More need for international knowledge More need for international knowledge Ranking things and people Ranking things and people - In the UK, police forces, schools, hospitals, libraries

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Fun or… Some of these rankings are for fun - rich lists - rich lists - now dozens of types - now dozens of types Some are serious - Over 1000 “failing” institutions

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Globalisation of universities What is it? What is it? Is it important? Is it important? How do you measure it? How do you measure it? What happens when you try? What happens when you try?

Martin Ince Communications Ltd What is it? Universities are the original global enterprises Universities are the original global enterprises 2.7 million (2006) 2.7 million (2006) Slowing home student numbers in many developed world nations Slowing home student numbers in many developed world nations Awareness of students’ need to be more global Awareness of students’ need to be more global

Martin Ince Communications Ltd The five flows People People Money Money Ideas Ideas Services Services Goods Goods

Martin Ince Communications Ltd War for talent Work of Phil Brown et al Work of Phil Brown et al Unskilled jobs mobile for decades Unskilled jobs mobile for decades IT makes middle class jobs mobile IT makes middle class jobs mobile Microsoft in China Microsoft in China Design, research, finance Design, research, finance Pasadenanow.com Pasadenanow.com Universities and students know this Universities and students know this

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Economic impact Research and innovation Research and innovation Not just Silicon Valley Not just Silicon Valley CambridgeCambridge BostonBoston FinlandFinland MunichMunich BangaloreBangalore

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Economic impact New emphases New emphases Climate change: mitigation and adaptationClimate change: mitigation and adaptation RoboticsRobotics NanotechnologyNanotechnology Web 2.0, 3.0…Web 2.0, 3.0… BiotechnologyBiotechnology Where will this happen?Where will this happen? University only one of many factors University only one of many factors

Martin Ince Communications Ltd This is only part of the story.. Manufacturing about 13 per cent of UK economy Manufacturing about 13 per cent of UK economy Growth in: Growth in: HealthcareHealthcare LeisureLeisure FinanceFinance EducationEducation

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Soft power Governments appreciate this Governments appreciate this British Council et al British Council et al Cheaper and more reliable than war Cheaper and more reliable than war China > 240 Confucius Institutes China > 240 Confucius Institutes Universities major poles of soft power Universities major poles of soft power Not a clear distinction Not a clear distinction

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Other pressures Bologna Bologna GATS GATS Asian growth Asian growth BTA BTA Lambert Lambert

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Is it compulsory? No it isn’t No it isn’t 4,000 universities cannot all be Harvard 4,000 universities cannot all be Harvard Costs time and money Costs time and money Perfectly valid decision not to get involved Perfectly valid decision not to get involved Risks: eg Chinese provision Risks: eg Chinese provision

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Measuring top universities Started in 2004 Started in 2004 No agreed way to do this No agreed way to do this We decided on a novel approach We decided on a novel approach Work with QS Quacquarelli Symonds Work with QS Quacquarelli Symonds Key issue: data consistency and data relevance Key issue: data consistency and data relevance

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Things that don’t work US News: 18 main columns US News: 18 main columns Likewise Times GUG, Macleans et al Likewise Times GUG, Macleans et al Rich data in national systems Rich data in national systems - Library costs - Alumni giving - Completion - Course cost - Course cost

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Instead… Look for measures of: Look for measures of: Academic quality EmployabilityResearchTeaching Global reach

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Universities must Teach in at least two of the five areas Teach in at least two of the five areas Teach undergraduates Teach undergraduates Omit Rockefeller, UCSF Omit Rockefeller, UCSF Include LSE Include LSE Meant to cover large general institutions Meant to cover large general institutions Science specialists show up well too Science specialists show up well too

Martin Ince Communications Ltd On a world scale We think academics know about universities We think academics know about universities So we ask them So we ask them 6,354 this time 6,354 this time What do you know about? What do you know about? Who is good at it? Who is good at it? About 126,000 data points About 126,000 data points

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Who?

Balance… Subject areas Subject areas Social sciences Arts and humanities ScienceTechnologyBiomedicine Locations Locations

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Likewise employers Where do you like to recruit? Where do you like to recruit? Major multinational employers Major multinational employers 2,339 in ,339 in 2008 This means another 35,000 data points This means another 35,000 data points These make half your possible score These make half your possible score

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Research Citations/ 5 years from Scopus Citations/ 5 years from Scopus Per person not per paper Per person not per paper Well-known biases in subject, language etc Well-known biases in subject, language etc 20 per cent 20 per cent

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Teaching Staff/student ratio Staff/student ratio Looks simple but.. Looks simple but.. Also 20 per cent

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Global reach International staff International staff International students International students 5 per cent each 5 per cent each Netherlands problem Netherlands problem Are these people serious about being international? Is this a place people want to be?

Martin Ince Communications Ltd What it is not … Pos.TeamPldWDLGFGAPts 1AZ Ajax Twente Heerenveen PSV NAC Groningen NEC Utrecht Willem II Heracles Feyenoord Sparta Den Haag Vitesse De Graafschap Roda Volendam

Martin Ince Communications Ltd “That table does not lie”

Martin Ince Communications Ltd What it shows Harvard is pretty good Harvard is pretty good US and UK 87/200 US and UK 87/200 Canada, Australia, continental Europe Canada, Australia, continental Europe But 32 nations have a university here But 32 nations have a university here Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Argentina Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Argentina

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Europeans.. Ireland 2 Ireland 2 Germany 11 cf Japan 10 Germany 11 cf Japan 10 Netherlands 11 Netherlands 11 Greece 1, Italy 1, Spain 1 Greece 1, Italy 1, Spain 1 France 4 France 4 Belgium 5, Sweden 4, Denmark 3, Norway 1, Finland 1, Russia 1 Belgium 5, Sweden 4, Denmark 3, Norway 1, Finland 1, Russia 1

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Too English? Yes but… Yes but… Especially in arts and culture Especially in arts and culture Science and technology less of an issue Science and technology less of an issue Teaching and publishing in Asia Teaching and publishing in Asia Not an argument about universities Not an argument about universities

Martin Ince Communications Ltd New this year System strength System strength - Top 40 countries - Four broad measures - Highly experimental

Martin Ince Communications Ltd They are: Number and position of universities in top 600 Number and position of universities in top 600 Students per head (to be exact, square root) Students per head (to be exact, square root) Top institution Top institution Economic, uses GDP/Capita Economic, uses GDP/Capita

Martin Ince Communications Ltd The winners… US and UK US and UK Germany 4 Germany 4 France 7 France 7 Netherlands 8 Netherlands 8 Norway places badly because of oil Norway places badly because of oil

Martin Ince Communications Ltd The competition Not even wrong: Webometrics, Not even wrong: Webometrics, Ecole des Mines (apologies to Peter Woit) Shanghai Jiao Tong Shanghai Jiao Tong Nobel PrizesNobel Prizes Papers in Science and NaturePapers in Science and Nature But 146/200But 146/200 Cf Ton van RaanCf Ton van Raan HEEACTHEEACT

Martin Ince Communications Ltd First impact International industry International industry IREG IREG Berlin Principles Berlin Principles Leiden, Tsinghua et al Leiden, Tsinghua et al Hope they’ll say thank you to THE Hope they’ll say thank you to THE

Martin Ince Communications Ltd More importantly.. Big media interest Big media interest 24 articles in the Mexican press articles in the Mexican press 2004 Especially from Asia Especially from Asia Also continental Europe and UK Also continental Europe and UK Far less from US Far less from US

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Response is… Reject the whole idea (German rectors) Reject the whole idea (German rectors) Complain about their position Complain about their position Ask how to do better Ask how to do better

Martin Ince Communications Ltd So here is the answer: Be visible around the world as an excellent institution Be visible around the world as an excellent institution Produce graduates people want to hire Produce graduates people want to hire Produce papers people want to cite Produce papers people want to cite Have enough staff to teach your students Have enough staff to teach your students Be attractive to overseas staff and students Be attractive to overseas staff and students

Martin Ince Communications Ltd But the real surprise.. THE (previously THES) since 1971 THE (previously THES) since 1971 Always written about universities and HE around the world Always written about universities and HE around the world Nobody ever noticed Nobody ever noticed

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Because of the Rankings: Heisenberg in action Heisenberg in action THE turned into something that anyone running a university anywhere in the world has to know about THE turned into something that anyone running a university anywhere in the world has to know about

Martin Ince Communications Ltd First group: politicians Do UK universities need more money? Do UK universities need more money? Or are they fine as they are? Or are they fine as they are? US/UK comparison

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Germany Rectors like things as they are Rectors like things as they are Government doesn’t agree Government doesn’t agree Only one winner Only one winner Excellence initiative Excellence initiative €1.9 billion €1.9 billion Nine institutions Nine institutions

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Korea Peak of world interest Peak of world interest Presidential candidates Presidential candidates About eight institutions want to be in top 100 About eight institutions want to be in top 100 Can’t all succeed Can’t all succeed General interest in other people’s views of their societies General interest in other people’s views of their societies

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Pushing systems.. Towards TowardsConcentration New reward mechanisms Internationalisation But away from local, cheap, mass provision

Martin Ince Communications Ltd The future Likely to grow Likely to grow Likely to get better Likely to get better THE to internalise process THE to internalise process University rankings and reputation practice:

Martin Ince Communications Ltd Really the last slide Thank you to.. Thank you to.. Ann Mroz and colleagues at THE Ann Mroz and colleagues at THE Nunzio Quacquarelli, Ben Sowter and colleagues at QS Nunzio Quacquarelli, Ben Sowter and colleagues at QS Staff of Scopus Staff of Scopus You for your attention You for your attention