The recently held QS Arab Forum for universities had good news for Oman’s higher education sector.
While the flagship Sultan Qaboos University climbed in rank from 362 to 334, four other universities also improved their performance. These include Sohar University, University of Nizwa, Dhofar University and GUTech (German University of Technology).
QS (Quacquarel Symonds) is an internationally accepted forum that provides comparative data on university performance worldwide. Such data are based on a number of factors such as academic reputation, faculty-student ratio and research output, among others.
Participation in these rankings is voluntary, but such participation is important in that it establishes international credentials and offers global recognition. It is also a way to improve aspects in which an institution may be deficient.
For example, the ranking of a university in the QS is based on a global survey of faculty members. In this way, rankings are decided by the stakeholders, like faculty, but also by other objective criteria like publishing history and citations.
Internationally, rankings help students to decide on the universities they would like to attend. According to one survey, more than 60 per cent of students internationally looked at the QS rankings before applying to universities, particularly at the graduate and doctoral level.
High rankings also help to bring more funding for an institution.
As top ranked institutions bring in the best students and faculty, they also become research hubs, with an increase in research productivity. In many cases, both public and private funding is important for universities to engage in projects targeting the community.
But it is more than just the prestige of being at the top that spurs universities to participate in global rankings.
Effectively, this is an important way in which an institution can compare itself to others with similar demographics and improve its metrics through implementing changes in policies.
By highlighting specific areas of weakness, universities take measures to make investments in various areas. These may include innovative teaching facilities and strengthening research programmes.
Additionally, if the performance on the criteria of research impact or international visibility is ranked average, the university would take steps to introduce initiatives to improve global collaboration and focus on an international outlook.
University rankings are often seen to be controversial as they use the same yardstick to compare institutions of higher education across the world. This reduces all universities to one template, removing all specific criteria of demography, teaching and learning contexts, and individualised outcomes.
While this is a valid concern and is being continually addressed by the ranking platforms, it is important that universities continue to participate in such projects.
Focusing on areas of development will help both, the institution and the community, to take necessary steps to align education with international standards.
University rankings continue to be important as they enhance institutional reputation and facilitate continuous improvement. They also influence national education policy and strategy.
Rankings provide transparency, motivation, and accountability, all of which are important in a competitive academic world.
The writer is an Associate Professor, Sultan Qaboos University
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