On April, 12th British consulting company Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd (QS) has organized a workshop in MEPhI. During the seminar the Company Regional Director in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Zoya Zaitseva has commented upon the subject university rating published by QS in the end of March and has told about methodology and data analysis which have been used.
According to the company representative, there are 4 criteria: academic society opinion, employers’ opinion, citation index and Hirsch index which reflect productivity of research work. After that universities are ranged each in their subject field, and out of that list 100, 200 or 300 best ones are chosen depending on the original sample and the quantity of data.
So in the 2016 rating, MEPhI has been mentioned in 9 subject zones, entering 3 of them in published lists: Physics & Astronomy (group 51-100), Engineering–Electrical (group 251-300) and Mathematics (group 301-350).
The 6 subject zones which haven’t entered the rating have been named “potential points of growth” by the expert. As for Physics & Astronomy direction, which has always been strong in MEPhI, it should be developed further.
Zoya Zaitseva has mentioned top 5 Russian universities in separate subjects. According to the QS rating, MEPhI is fourth in «Engineering–Electrical & Electronic» and second in «Physics&Astronomy». It also has good results in «Earth & Marine Sciences», being fifth.
The second part of the workshop was dedicated to the reputational survey which is an important instrument of any rating – global, regional or subject – and requiring special attention. According to the conducted analysis, MEPhI should work on its academic recognizability and make closer ties with post-soviet states.
Among positive results the QS representative has mentioned university’s work in information sphere, various Russian- and English-language news, work with social networks.
The participants had a chance to ask Zoya Zaitseva questions during her high-level workshop which she answered with enthusiasm.
