It’s too early for Project 5-100 to reap the benefits
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London, September 15, 2015: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) holds first place in the twelfth QSWorldUniversityRankings 2015/16 university rankings. Harvard comes in second place, while Cambridge and Stanford share third place. Two of Singapore's leading universities made it into the top 15 for the first time: National University of Singapore, also considered Asia's leading university, took 12th place, while Nanyang Technological University is breathing down its neck, rising twenty-six places to 13th. place. Of the 891 universities included in the QS ranking, 21, as last year, are Russian: Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov rose six positions this year and took 108th place, approaching the top 100 for the first time since 2010.
However, the growth of Moscow State University in the ranking is not indicative of the entire country: 13 Russian universities rose in the ranking, while 8 fell. The indicators of Russian universities are distributed unstable among the six indicators used: the attitude of university staff to students, which is traditionally strong, is offset by the still low citation index. In addition, academic reputation results have also weakened slightly this year. Russia still has a long way to go to achieve the goal of the 5/100 program, launched in 2013, which aims to have five Russian universities among the top 100 universities in the world by 2020.
Top 15 Best Universities in the World - 2015
This year turned out to be successful for MSU. M.V. Lomonosov - according to three of the six evaluation criteria, it came close to or entered the top 100: reputation in the academic environment (88th place), reputation of the university among employers (103rd place) and the ratio of teachers to students (29th place). High performance on these criteria has helped MSU rise in the rankings and allows us to predict that the university will enter the top 100 in the next couple of years. Some other Russian universities also rose: Tomsk State University and St. Petersburg Polytechnic University each moved up a step, entering the groups 481-490 and 471-480, respectively, while Tomsk Polytechnic University broke into the top 500 for the first time, placing itself in the group of places 481-490. Far Eastern Federal University also showed positive dynamics and entered the group 651-700.
QSWorldUniversityRankings2015/16 - Russia
The highest indicator of MSU was the ratio of the number of students to university staff (29th place), and according to this indicator, twelve Russian universities entered the world's top 100, 6 - into the top 50. National Research Saratov State University showed the highest result in this criterion - 12th place , once again establishing itself as the best university where students can interact closely with faculty. The top 50 according to this criterion also included Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman (27th place), Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (38th place), Moscow State Institute of International Relations (44th place) and St. Petersburg State University (46th place).
Despite high indicators on some criteria, in general the recognition of Russian universities in the academic environment has worsened: 16 universities showed a decrease in this indicator. However, most of the decreases occurred by no more than 25 positions, which fits into normal fluctuations associated with the intensity of research activity, the number of scientific publications and the low proportion of foreign students to teachers. Russian universities traditionally demonstrate a weak position in the citation index, which is an indicator of research activity - not a single university, except Novosibirsk State University, rose above 651-700 places in this indicator. However, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology broke the trend, rising to twenty-one places in the citation index ranking.
Ben Souther, Head of Research Department QS , says: “Russian higher education is changing and developing very quickly. But it takes a long time to see the results of this development, and even longer to evaluate them. Thus, the efforts made by Russian universities recently have yet to have an impact on the ranking. The biggest problem for Russian universities in any global ranking remains the volume of scientific publications in international indexed journals. A significant share of indicators such as reputation and expert opinion, rather than publications in English, makes the ranking QS most favorable for many Russian universities, but to achieve high positions a significant increase in international publications over the next few years is necessary."
The purpose of QSWorldUniversityRankings is to provide accurate and comparable information to students to make informed decisions when choosing their future education. This year, taking into account student feedback and following significant discussions with the advisory board, QS adopted a new approach to normalizing the citation index across five scientific fields. This reform takes into account the high volume of citations in the life sciences and, to a lesser extent, in the natural sciences.
QS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Zoya Zaitseva explains: “Every year QS collects hundreds of proposals to improve data collection, analysis, etc. After considerable analysis and heated discussions with the academic community and our Council, we have made changes to the methodology this year. These are the first major changes since 2007, and, of course, the result has been very noticeable: many universities have changed their positions more than ever. The main changes are the normalization of the citation index - until this year, when analyzing Scopus data for QSWorldUniversityRankings, we considered all the results as a whole, however, taking into account the uneven distribution of the productivity of scientists in each of the fields of knowledge, it was decided to display this in the approach. According to Scopus, 49% of citations come from the life sciences and medicine, while only 6% come from the social sciences and 1% from the humanities and arts. However, if you look at the number of students studying in these areas, the situation is exactly the opposite. In the UK, for example, 55% of students study the sciences that add up to these 7% of citations. As a result, we developed a sliding scale that allows us to evaluate and normalize the citation index depending not only on the total number of citations, but also on the language of publication, the productivity of the country in a particular field of knowledge as a whole, etc. (for details see IU.qs.com or [email protected]). This normalization primarily hit universities whose scientific successes are related to the life sciences and medicine. In Russia, this was most clearly demonstrated by the example of RUDN, which this year found itself in the 601-650 group instead of last year’s 471-480.
However, given the positive dynamics of these two universities and the work that is being carried out in them under the leadership of the rectors, I am sure that this is a temporary phenomenon, and in the near future we will see a correction in the results and a return to the usual growth.
Other changes include excluding certain types of publications from the analysis (press releases, conference reviews, etc.) and expanding the cumulative assessment of expert surveys from three to five years.
I want to emphasize that many universities collaborating with QS and providing their data for analysis, demonstrate stable growth and improvement in their results. Most, if not all, of this year's shifts are the result of a change in methodology. As I mentioned, we rarely take these steps, but we believe that the new assessment rules will allow us to give all universities a more balanced and realistic assessment, rather than relying on just one particular strength.”
Today we invite you to familiarize yourself with the results of the latest Quacquarelli Symonds ranking: TOP 10 leading universities in the world and TOP 3 Russian universities that managed to be among the best educational institutions. In addition, you can find out what factors influence the compilation of ratings and by what indicators QS experts determine the best educational organizations in the world.
At choosing a foreign university Many applicants and their parents are guided by the results of rankings of educational institutions, which are compiled annually by the world's leading publications. That is why on the websites of educational organizations you can often find the “Achievements” section, where not only the results of the alma mater’s activities are described, but also the university’s place in the rankings is listed.
Today we invite you to familiarize yourself with the results of the latest Quacquarelli Symonds ranking: TOP 10 leading universities in the world and TOP 3 Russian universities that managed to be among the best educational institutions. In addition, you can find out what factors influence the compilation of ratings and by what indicators QS experts determine the best educational organizations in the world.
What is QS rating
QS rating is the result of a large-scale expert-analytical study of the activities of world universities, which is carried out by specialists from the British consulting company Quacquarelli Symonds. Every year since 2004, QS has compiled a ranking of the world's 500 best universities based on indicators such as:
- quality and activity of research activities;
- career potential and employers' opinions;
- internationalization and teaching;
- reputation of the university in the academic environment.
- The World University Rankings, produced by Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters;
- QS World University Rankings, produced by Quacquarelli Symonds.
The assessment of the activities of universities is based on an analysis of the activities of educational institutions, audited data, a global survey of employers (companies from more than 90 countries) and the international academic community (heads and professors of universities with an average experience in science of 19.6 years).
Results of the 14th QS rating
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (founded in 1861) - consists of five schools (faculties) and one college, specializes in scientific and technological research, is funded by government agencies (Department of Health, Department of Defense, Social Services, etc.).
2. Stanford University (founded in 1891) - consists of seven schools (faculties), is an innovator in the field of high technology, most of the projects are funded by the Federal Government.
3. Harvard University (founded in 1636) - consists of 12 schools (faculties) and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, famous for its business school and developments in various fields of science, and has the largest endowment.
4. California Technological University (founded in 1891) - consists of 6 departments, each of which offers several areas of training, specializes in the exact sciences and engineering, many projects are funded by the State of California and the Federal Government.
5. Cambridge University (founded in 1209) - consists of 6 separate schools and more than 150 faculties, is widely known for its conservatism and traditions, and ranks first in the number of Nobel laureates (130 people).
6. Oxford University (founded in 1096) - consists of 38 colleges and 6 closed educational organizations, specializes in the humanities, and practices a unique tutoring system.
7. University College London (founded in 1826) - consists of 11 faculties, each of which includes several schools, is considered the best research university in London, and has the best student/teacher ratio in England (10:1).
8. Imperial College London (founded in 1907) - consists of 3 faculties and a business school, specializes in medicine, engineering, natural sciences and management, until 2007 it was one of the colleges of the University of London.
9. University of Chicago (founded 1890) - Consisting of a College, various graduate schools, interdisciplinary committees and 7 institutes, the University of Chicago's MBA programs are recognized as one of the best in the world, has one of the largest university libraries, served by a robot.
10. ETH Zurich (founded in 1855) - consists of 16 faculties, grouped into 5 main areas, and is one of the best engineering universities in the world.
If speak about Russian universities in the QS ranking, then one domestic alma mater finally managed to enter the TOP 100 best universities in the world - the honorable 95th position is occupied by M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, which managed to achieve the following indicators:
- Total points - 65
- Academic reputation - 82
- Reputation among employers – 79.6
- Student/teacher ratio – 99.7
- % of foreign students - 48.7
Novosibirsk State University takes second place among Russian universities and 250th position in the QS ranking with the following indicators:
- Total points – 41.3
- Academic reputation – 37.6
- Reputation among employers – 43.6
- Student/teacher ratio – 82.4
- % of foreign students – 56.3
The presence of Russian universities in the TOP-300 of the QS ranking is completed by Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman (291 positions) with the following indicators:
- Total points – 38.2
- Academic reputation – 28
- Reputation among employers – 60.2
- Student/teacher ratio – 99.9
Factors influencing ratings
When compiling all rankings, including the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, not only statistical data based on information provided by universities is taken into account, but also the personal opinion of participants in the educational process. Therefore, behind each ranking position there are hidden both objective and subjective factors.
Objective factors are usually understood as reliable information about the percentage of “honorable” diplomas issued, entrance scores, and the financing of the university’s material, technical and educational base. Objective data also includes information on the quantitative assessment of the scientific weight of university works over a certain period of time.
Subjective factors are also statistical data, but based on the personal opinion of students, which may be influenced by various circumstances not related to the educational process.
That is why rankings, even such serious ones as the QS World University Rankings, are recommended to be considered solely as information for thought. By and large, the ratings are designed to assist applicants in identifying general guidelines and choosing a study program.
Image sources: ekd.me
Methodological informationThe QS rankings of the world's best universities are based on six criteria:
1. Academic reputation 40% - based on the opinions of professors and teachers conducting scientific activities, as well as senior management of universities, about which educational institutions in the world conduct scientific research in their area of competence at the highest level. This is a cumulative assessment, taking into account data for the last 3 years. Respondents name the best universities in each field of research and the best universities in the regions with which they are familiar.
2. Reputation among employers 10% - invitations to participate are sent to companies in all industries, with a size of one hundred employees and above. Both HR directors and top managers who work directly with newly hired university graduates can answer.
3. The ratio of teaching staff to the number of students is 20% - the source of this data is not only information from the universities themselves, but also data from government organizations. Whenever possible, data is checked against several open sources for greater reliability. The number of full-cycle students and the number of full-time teachers are taken into account; correspondence students and suppliers are counted at a conversion rate of 1 to 3. This indicator for Russian universities is one of the best in the world.
4. Citation index 20% - this criterion includes the number of citations from published scientific research per number of teachers and researchers working at the university as their main place of work for at least one semester. From 2004 to 2007, citations were calculated based on the Thomson database, from 2007 on the basis of the Scopus bibliometric database from Elsevier. Materials published over the last five years are taken into account; self-citations are not taken into account. The Scopus database contains more publications in languages other than English and a larger number of highly specialized scientific publications of small circulation compared to the Thomson database, and also has a higher number of indexed journals in Russian. Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult indicators for Russian scientists to improve, both due to poor English language proficiency and a number of other reasons: closed research, lack of international publication as a priority, complex connections between the Russian Academy of Sciences and universities.
5. The share of foreign students of 5% is the easiest statistic to obtain, reflecting the degree of attractiveness of an educational institution in the international arena. Students who are citizens of countries other than the country of study and who study on the university campus for at least a semester and are not exchange students are taken into account.
6. The share of foreign teachers is 5% - as in the previous case, teachers working full-time or part-time and spending at least one semester at the university are taken into account.
Indicator.Ru looked into what Russian universities need to do to climb up this list and what has changed in the system for counting British experts.The international QS ranking has been published since 2004, and initially experts from the British publication Times Higher Education (THE) participated in the preparation of its methodology. Since 2010, the analytical company Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. began publishing the rating independently. When compiling the rating, statistical information from the Scopus bibliometric database is taken into account.
Place* | University | A country |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | USA | |
| 2 | Stanford | USA |
| 3 | USA | |
| 4 | Caltech | USA |
| 5 | Cambridge | Great Britain |
| 6 | Great Britain | |
| 7 | University College London | Great Britain |
| 8 | Imperial College London | Great Britain |
| 9 | University of Chicago | USA |
| 10 | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland |
Compared to the previous year, the position of universities remained virtually unchanged: the California Institute of Technology moved up one position, while Cambridge, on the contrary, moved down; Imperial College London and the University of Chicago were ranked 9th and 10th in last year's rankings, respectively, while the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology dropped two positions.
Among the 300 best universities are also St. Petersburg State University (240th place), Novosibirsk State University (250th place) and MSTU. Bauman (291st place). According to QS, the citation index at NSU, unlike other domestic universities, has also increased.
MSTU. Bauman
National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI"
SPbPU Peter the Great
NUST MISIS
NI SSU named after N.G. Chernyshevsky
Saint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics
REU named after G.V. Plekhanov
SNIU named after S.P. Queen
The rating methodology has undergone minor changes this year. Zoya Zaitseva commented: “Firstly, the ratio of the voting weights of domestic and international employers has changed. Previously it was 30/70, from this year the weight will be equal, 50/50. This is a serious plus for Russian universities, which have finally begun to work much more intensively with their contacts in companies.”
In addition, the analysis of the Scopus database has changed. “Previously, we looked at a five-year window covering quotes from the year the ranking was published,” explains Zaitseva. “However, after lengthy discussions with our Academic Council, it was decided to extend the window to six years. So, this year we analyzed citations from 2011 to 2016, referring to articles published between 2011 and 2015. This increases the significance of the last year in the analysis and gives us slightly more accurate data.”
Experts from Quacquarelli Symonds claim that competent planning of the activities of Russian universities, aimed at improving their reputation, certainly helped them rise in the rankings. “The achievements of Russian universities this year indicate that careful, long-term strategic planning, targeted and consistent investment, and a commitment to internationalization will ultimately lead to tangible positive changes in the rankings of Russian universities. Despite the fact that Russian universities continue to be hampered by the relatively low results of bibliometric indicators, behind this year’s strong results are the desire of Russian universities to strengthen their positions in the international arena and the implementation of an international strategy as an integral part of the university’s development,” said Ben Souther, head of the department QS Intelligence Unit research.
Sources
Tomsk Polytechnic University (tpu.ru), 06/08/2017
Department of Education of the Novosibirsk Region (minobr.nso.ru), 06/08/2017
REF RF (referatwork.ru), 06/08/2017
Russia for everyone (rus.rus4all.ru), 06/08/2017
Pulse of the Planet 24/7 (puls-planety247.ru), 06/08/2017
News. Economics (vestifinance.ru), 06/08/2017
National News Service (nsn.fm), 06/08/2017
Medical Bulletin (medvestnik.ru), 06/08/2017
Novosibirsk local history portal (kraeved.ngonb.ru), 06/13/2017