Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros Rector, Corvinus University of Budapest Babes-Bolyai University, September 2009 University Rankings in Hungary - a possible method and its critical analysis -

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 3 Motives of rankings Higher Education as a separate industry of the national economy (quality, efficiency, competition) Diversity in higher education (profile, size, owners etc.) Rankings, classifications

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 4 Rankings I.  Well-known rankings worldwide : –Chiao Tung University; –The Times Higher Education Supplement ranking –Business Week – ranking of American Business Schools –Financial Times – management master programs, MBA programs

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 5 Rankings II.  Too many rankings => devaluationary impact => quality maintenance: –CEPES / European Center for Higher Education – Bucarest + Institute for Higher Education Policy – Washington D.C. => IREG / International Ranking Expert Group –Berlin Principles 2006.

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 6 Classification  CEIHE – Classifying European Institutions for Higher Education –Multi-phase European project –Classifying system based on a new and selfmade database –Project closure in 2009

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 7 Hungarian situation I.  Higher education as a separate industry of the national economy – students altogether – more than 10% of people legally employed – teachers and other employees => one of the largest „company” –State subsidy totalled up to 1% of the national GDP –60% of basic research projects linked to universities

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 8 Hungarian situation II.  Diversity in Higher Education –Altogether 71 institutions, 29 of them are state-funded –16% of students attend private and faith-based institutions –The number of students enrolled to one institution vary between 70 and –Diverse university profiles: different disciplines, similar staff profile, small theological faculty

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 9 Hungarian Ranking Database  Basic information provided by the institutions pooled by the Ministry of Culture and Education  Direct data collection of Educatio Ltd. and National Higher Education Information Center e.g. admission data  Data supplied by the National Scientific Student Council (results of scientific competitions)  Questionnaires filled by different representative groups (student’s evaluations, employee’s opinions etc)  Labour market research (advertisement analysis, interviewing employers)

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 10 Hungarian university rankings Fields of study (14)Selected courses Faculty ranking Student’s excellenceProfessor’s excellence Absolute ranking of the 164 faculties

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 11 Critical remarks  Less attention on research activities  Irrespective of actual diversity  Untipical data provided by universities  Lack of criteria important in international rankings

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 12 GOOD NEWS: we are getting out of the economic crisis The BAD NEWS is: nobody believes it!

Prof. Dr. Tamás Mészáros, Rector 13 Thank You for Your Attention!