International multimedia press centre of MIA “Rossiya Segodnya” has conducted a festive activity, dedicated to the results of the 13th QS World University Rankings. The participants discussed results, achieved this year by Russian universities, which, according to the supervisor of the “Social navigator” project Nataliya Tyurina, made a unique step forward in their history.
QS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Zoia Zaitseva commented upon the results, stressing the general tendency of the universities’ promotion in ranking positions. Practically all universities have demonstrated progress in their results, at the same time those, who stayed in their group in the ranking, are worthy candidates, especially considering new universities, adding each year, because “even to stay at the same place you need to run very quickly”. The progress is naturally following the equation of results in accordance with reality. The process is mutual – the changes happen both fr om the side of universities and from the side of ranking creators, who always improve data gathering, their verification, consider offers from the side of the university community.
In connection with the growing volume of data some changes were added, although not as significant, as the last year ones. For example, ranking agency fixed calculations for analysis of top-700 universities (the full volume was considered before, which significantly influenced medial performance), which found its reflection in results of both academic reputation and employers’ reputation. “This is the change that will allow us find a more objective worldview, because these are the indices, wh ere the results of the lowest universities affect the results of good universities,” QS representative thinks.
She stressed that the dynamics is the result of more than one year of work. “It is important to save the tendency now. All universities should pay attention to what influences their movement.”
QS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia commented upon the index of reputational estimation which takes 50 % from the overall sum. Foreign expert’s opinion is more important than the national one. For strengthening of the positions and saving positive dynamics Zoia Zaitseva recommended to continue working with foreign colleagues. She said that most often experts from Kazakhstan, the USA, Great Britain and Germany vote for Russian universities.
She added that academic reputation and employers’ reputation can be applied to Russian universities as awareness. “It’s the first time for 5-6 years, when Russian universities stopped being isolated from the rest of the world. With the appearance of new motivation, like 5-100 Project, they started talking about their achievements.”
MEPhI rector M.N.Strikhanov stressed that universities with narrow specialization experience more difficulties in ranking competitions, because the number of experts, familiar with specific branches, is small in relation to the overall number of respondents. The solution to this situation could be creation of 5-100 «comprehensive university», which allows develop all spheres of knowledge in specialized sphere of the university. He added that the average state exam score depends on the improvement of university positions in rankings. As a result, the best students come to top universities.
Zoia Zaitseva said that “this is the first time in the history of QS when we make individual awarding ceremony for successful universities of a separate country”.
