University of Auckland and IIT Delhi host knowledge exchange on rankings
17 February 2020
University rankings – what they entail, what they mean for universities, strategies and practices – were the subject of a knowledge exchange workshop with twenty Indian institutions hosted by the University of Auckland and IIT Delhi.
At the knowledge exchange workshop, held on 14 February in New Delhi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Engagement) Professor Jenny Dixon and Senior Planning Analyst, Jingwen Mu, shared the University of Auckland’s perspective and pragmatic approaches to rankings.
Discussion ranged from the rationale for rankings – Should rankings drive institutional behaviour or help provide insights into performance? How do national rankings systems overlap or compete against international reputation rankings? – to the pragmatic, for example tidying up inconsistent data entry to make sure university outputs are counted correctly.
Professor Sanjeev Singha, IIT Delhi Dean of Alumni Affairs and International Programmes, co-hosted the event along with Professor Dixon, who said, “Whether we like it or not, rankings are important for universities. Students look to a university’s ranking as a proxy of its quality – that is the quality of its teaching and research.”
Whether we like it or not, rankings are important for universities. Students look to a university’s ranking as a proxy of its quality – that is the quality of its teaching and research.
The workshop also explored future developments such as the possibilities for universities to find a way to highlight their achievements outside traditional approaches to rankings.
Professor Kanika Bhal, Dean of Planning at IIT Delhi joined Professor Rupamanjari Ghosh, Vice-Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University and Associate Professor Arjuya Majumdar, Executive Director of Academic Planning at O.P. Jindal Global University, in sharing some Indian perspectives, experiences and challenges.
According to Professor Ghosh, “All of us in higher education need to be accountable. Rankings serve as a mirror and empower self-appraisal. But a uniform set of ranking parameters is not fair to the diverse missions of institutions.”
It was a day of frank and open conversation followed by a relaxed reception at the New Zealand High Commission residence.
