Initiatives to build research universities to have world-class universities, the creator and the disseminator of scientific knowledge in knowledge-based economies, are among the most important policy reactions in higher education systems. With an increase in demands on greater accountability, transparency, and efficiency, studies investigating the…

In response to global competition in higher education, university rankings have been developed. These have been interpreted as indicating the regions and countries with the most prestigious and competitive higher education institutions. The rankings are viewed as important in many countries, but their role is ambiguous and contested in the Nordic…

Ranking systems are readily available and offer a simplistic way to differentiate among universities. However, end-users are not informed about the criteria and methods used to develop the ranking systems. Whereas ranking systems are used by prospective students, their lack of reliability and transparency outweigh their benefits. There are a few…

This book examines the pros and cons of the internationalization of higher education institutions, which is an important feature of modern universities. It makes a significant contribution to our understanding of universities and an important input to the assessment of the internationalization of higher education institutions both for regulators…

We offer a Cultural Studies approach--a transdisciplinary field of study critically examining contemporary culture--to illuminate the roles of cultural producers and consumers in mediating the meaning of university rankings amidst a global media landscape. Using the case study of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and drawing on the concepts of: (1)…

This study analyzed the impact of location, accreditation, and faculty size on the ranking of elite business schools. It used descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (analysis of covariance) to establish the effect of location on the business schools' ranking while also controlling the influence (impact) of the covariates (accreditation…

The main objective of the current study is to establish a justifiable data-driven students-faculty ratio (SFR) benchmark for higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman. This is established based on analyzing selected secondary data from three sources using purposive sampling. This study reflects quantitative research adopting…

While important to many employers, a college degree does not necessarily indicate graduates' skills and competencies. Colleges need a more updated model that will allow students to acquire 21st-century workforce skills and help showcase and verify their competencies to potential employers. Digital badging emerges as a promising solution to help…

The role of rankings in higher education accrediting procedures is examined in this essay. It examines how rankings are integrated, as well as their advantages, drawbacks, and potential applications. Rankings have grown in popularity as instruments for evaluating institutional excellence, offering comparison data, and assisting in decision-making.…

In the last years, 'new' policy issues, such as sustainability, have emerged, and old ones, such as social inclusion, have resurfaced on the political and public agendas. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly expected to respond to these 'new' challenges. But how are HE systems and HEIs (namely in Europe and Asia) looking at these…

Global university rankings have reshaped the landscape of higher education (HE) across various parts of the globe. The intensified competition stirred by these rankings has significantly affected academic lifestyles. The quest for global university rankings has also inevitably increased the degree of homogenisation amongst universities. Given the…

Despite the ubiquity of global university rankings coverage in media and academia, a concerted attempt to investigate the role of social media in ranking entrepreneurship remains absent. By drawing on an affect lens, we critically examine the social media activities of two commercial rankers: Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds…

A concerted attempt to offer an affect (emotions, desires, moods, and/or attitudes) lens underlying the global university rankings (GURs) phenomenon remains absent. Using two commercial ranker case studies ("Times Higher Education" (THE) and "Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd" (QS)), this article provides a critical policy analysis…

The purpose of the research is to theorise about the determinants of academic reputation and the moderating effects of aspiration performance in Latin-American universities present in three of the most important rankings in the world: The Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). To…

Purpose: Prospective students and other stakeholders in the education system use global and national rankings as a measure of the quality of education offered by different higher educational institutions. The ranking of an Institution is seen as a measure of reputation and has a significant role in attracting students. But are students happy in…