Multirank milestone reached

Nieuws | de redactie
6 juni 2013 | U-Multirank, the new multi-dimensional university ranking, has surpassed the target number of 500 registrations. “Proof that there is a demand for new types of ranking”, says European Commissioner Vassiliou. To date 540 higher education institutions have committed to the listing.

Institutions in more than 60 countries will be represented in the ranking that will be published for the first time early next year. U-Multirank differs from existing rankings by rating universities according to a broader range of performance factors, aimed at providing a more realistic and user-friendly guide to what they offer.

The currently registered institutions represent a balanced sample in different ways: In line with recruitment targets, about 75% are in the European Union and 25% in non-EU countries. Different profiles of higher education institutions will take part in the first round of U-Multirank, for instance universities of applied sciences and universities with a technical profile (around 12% each), comprehensive (around 50%) and specialized universities. A large number of research intensive universities  are also represented.

U-Multirank  says Registration is still open, but space is limited, so interested institutions are encouraged to register now.

Demand for a new type of ranking

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: “This is a very impressive start for U-Multirank: the high level of interest expressed by universities and other institutions worldwide is proof that there is a demand for a new type of university ranking that is multi-dimensional, transparent and adaptable to the needs of different types of user.”

“This is a major milestone for the project,” said Professor Dr. Frank Ziegele, Director of the Centre for Higher Education in Germany, one of the leads of the independent consortium developing and managing U-Multirank. “But we will not stop there. Registration will remain open via our website, so institutions that wish to participate can still apply. They will be advised on the next steps in the coming weeks and data collection will begin in late June.”

“We are very happy with this broad interest in U-Multirank. It shows that this will really be a global ranking for a large variety of higher education institutions,” said Professor Dr. Frans van Vught, of the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, the other lead of the consortium.

Rating in five areas

U-Multirank will rate universities in five areas: research, teaching and learning, international orientation, knowledge transfer and regional engagement. The first listing will focus on institutional and field-based rankings including mechanical and electrical engineering, business and physics. Not all fields exist in all of the registered institutions; physics, mechanical engineering and business each are offered by 40-50% of the participants, electrical engineering is offered by more than 65%.

U-Multirank is based on a methodology reflecting a variety of dimensions of excellence in an international context. The initiative builds on a feasibility study which was carried out and finalised in 2011. The study, based on work with 150 higher education institutions from Europe and around the world, confirmed that both the concept and implementation of a multi-dimensional ranking were realistic.

Other partners in the U-Multirank consortium include the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University (CWTS), academic publishers Elsevier, the Bertelsmann Foundation and software firm Folge 3. The consortium will also work with national ranking partners and stakeholder organisations to compile accurate data.

U-Multirank is being developed in 2013-2014 and has received €2 million in EU funding from the Lifelong Learning Programme, with the possibility of a further two years of funding in 2015-2016. The goal is for an independent organisation to run the ranking thereafter.


«
Schrijf je in voor onze nieuwsbrief
ScienceGuide is bij wet verplicht je toestemming te vragen voor het gebruik van cookies.
Lees hier over ons cookiebeleid en klik op OK om akkoord te gaan
OK