Rankings are subjective and based on this or that opinion! And for all practical purposes, useless.

We here in this country need to return to a time when we produced the finest graduates who were valued worldwide. And a time when we focused on excellence and research above all else, and not on funding imperatives.

We never ever did need to ape America and privatised universities. Which with its fee system has arguably the highest dropout rate among developed countries.

Our system needs massive overhaul and reform so those with the brightest minds are given preference and assisted to gradate, over those whose parents have the deepest pockets. Moreover, we need to de-privatise those universities that were built from the ground up by the taxpayer who has never ever been compensated or asked for permission.

I mean, would you allow the government to auction off your home without consulting you or the owners?

We need the education money completely rerouted and sent directly to parents who will direct their allocation on the best value for money rather than the prestigious rep of a particular academy.

It should be means tested and force academia to bid for your custom and funding package. Needs based age care in the home, with 4 levels of means tested funding, is a useful template.
Alan B.

No ! And, that is without reading the article !

Sack the lot of them and burn their books is a tradition worth saving.

Does it matter, given the rubbish universities are turning out. Most of the people attending universities these days have no business being there: they all end up making coffee, waiting on tables or unemployed and unemployable, carrying on about climate change.

The author says:

“There is no doubt that rankings affect the behaviour of potential applicants. When universities fall in the rankings, student applications (particularly from international students) also fall.”

Surely that’s the point. The best students want to go to the best universities.

While I fully agree that the rankings reflect the choice of measures used to compile them, and that what students “need to know is not which university is the best but which is best for them”, rankings can help them make that choice. And they also affect future employment prospects – a degree from Harvard is generally more highly regarded by employers than one from the University of Western Sydney.

Universities not wanting to participate in rankings is a bit like schools not wanting to publish students’ results – it’s evasive and often a cover for mediocrity.

It’s ironic, but no surprise, that when I opened this article one of the side-bar advertisements was for an “Oxford Executive MBA” with Oxford University’s Saïd business school. The advertisers clearly see this article as an opportunity to capitalise on and Oxford’s generally high ranking among the world’s universities. It does rather undermine the author's argument.

Aya Rhian

Don tue criticsize Westn Sidny Uneey. Sum upf us cam reed youse no.

The rankings of universities are based on the research done and have little to no relevance to the quality of teaching.

Shadowminister

Different organisations use different criteria – for example, the Times Higher Education rankings include many teaching indicators.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/sites/default/files/breaking_news_files/the_2023_world_university_rankings_methodology.pdf

This variety actually improves the usefulness of rankings. Students/researchers/teachers can pick ones that most suit their own needs and preferences.

Maverick

My apologies, I did not mean to insult your alma mater. You are clearly a fine example of its alumni!

Higher education has provided us with politicians, Lawyers & a long list of other highly educated people that have led this Nation to the unhappy state we're finding ourselves in now.
Makes one wonder what could have been achieved if less educated but more sensible people were holding the reigns !

Hear, hear and well said, Indy.

Maverick, yestady I cudant spell Univarsity stewdent, now I are one.
Alan B.

Hiya Alan B.

Actually my first degree was ANU

http://law.anu.edu.au/about-us/our-ranking#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20world's%20best%20universities&text=Currently%2C%20ANU%20is%20ranked%3A,Times%20Higher%20Education%20Rankings%20(2023)

which qualified me for Australia's CIA

of most use to the US CIA.

Following a 3 generation family tradition working for the US CIA.

But that is another story....

Rhain, great humour, very classy.

Universities only teach the student how to learn. Many did that, before we had tertiary education. the wright brothers didn't have a degree in aeronautical engineering. Stevens who built the first Steam engine didn't have a degree in steam/civil engineering.

Most of our disciplines were pioneered by folk with little or no formal education. Throughout history most of the original thinkers, likewise.

Today most tertiary educated professionals are only as good as their reference library.
Alan B.

Every scientist owes normal people for the base upon which the future learned of the past & present have been afforded to build their careers on !

How many times has reference been made to the "Brain drain" ? That infers that all those usefully educated aren't actually of any value to the economy here !
Is Australia simply just a nest of leftovers in that regard ?