Several rewards for universities become listed among top-ranked (e.g., top 50 or 100 universities). These can be summarised as follows: First: at the research level, these universities will attract the best researchers at different levels to join, and this will further be able to produce high-quality research and patents. Second, there are several economic implications; the research centres affiliated to these universities will be part of major international clinical trials and projects that could translate research with industrial projects (e.g., pharmaceutical research, engineering, chemical industry, computer programming/innovations). Third, the attraction of scholars and high calibre students, that further adds to the university influence at national and international levels, and others. The cost may be related to competition and making it difficult and challenging to join as academic, student or researcher. However, this should not stop us from pushing for a highly ranked university. Ideally, in a developed country, 4-5 universities are competing for top ranking at national/international levels, then those universities that at average levels with less competition, and lastly newly established universities that are trying to maintain their performance and getting things moving. So with such planning, a country should organise and plan dynamics across its universities.

Dear Gregoris,

I think that university rankings are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, university rankings allow students to have a grounded decision regarding which university to choose. On the other hand, university rankings may implement competition rather than cooperation.

Kind regards.

Orlando

Hi! Universities that end up with better ranking than peer and competitor institutions feel confirmed and justly treated and gladly acknowledge the ranking and its methods. All other institutions just feel misunderstood, as they feel that they should be, if they are rightly understood, world-class universities - at least in some specified sense. So they just omit the ranking and condemns its methods.

Usually rankings does no good for either of them. It can however be some guidance for students.

Several rewards for universities become listed among top-ranked (e.g., top 50 or 100 universities). These can be summarised as follows: First: at the research level, these universities will attract the best researchers at different levels to join, and this will further be able to produce high-quality research and patents. Second, there are several economic implications; the research centres affiliated to these universities will be part of major international clinical trials and projects that could translate research with industrial projects (e.g., pharmaceutical research, engineering, chemical industry, computer programming/innovations). Third, the attraction of scholars and high calibre students, that further adds to the university influence at national and international levels, and others. The cost may be related to competition and making it difficult and challenging to join as academic, student or researcher. However, this should not stop us from pushing for a highly ranked university. Ideally, in a developed country, 4-5 universities are competing for top ranking at national/international levels, then those universities that at average levels with less competition, and lastly newly established universities that are trying to maintain their performance and getting things moving. So with such planning, a country should organise and plan dynamics across its universities.

Anders Norberg Sir, for every quality-checking assessment, there are always pros and cons while I would bit disagree that the cons on ranking is not good for both the better-ranked and those unsatisfactory. Ranking, no doubt, brews contest for best quality as highlighted by @Samy Azer . It is therefore good for upliftment rather than whatever cons it may attract.

The universities ranking is now considered to play a determining role for study decision

As most of the phenomena, universities rankinks have pros and cons. They have pros because, for exampe, they allow students to take a grounded decision, concerning the university they want to attend. They hace cons because universities rankinks may stimulate competition rather then cooperation,

KInd regards,

Orlando

Dear respected friends and colleagues, thank you very much for your interesting and fruitful posts. We can denote that even though university rankings cannot be undermined in students' decision upon undergraduate or postgraduate courses, we cannot be bounded only on these rankings in advancing research. Other issues should be related to the type of studies selected by students (on-campus, off-campus, online, distant, blended learning modes), as well as the notable status of specific topics/departments among (otherwise average-listed) Universities.

In fact, applied technology is essential for students, development in science and society is essential for university.

Very interesting contribution, dear Shijun. Indeed, the societal parameter, the developmental perspectives, and the fame of each university-ranked, they cannot be undermined.

I think the charts of universities are losing their uniqueness. This has been particularly felt in recent years and is related to dynamic changes in people's attitudes. A number of factors contribute to this, both economically and humanly. The first establish the possibilities for creating and maintaining laboratories and centers with modern technological enrichment. This is usually not a matter for the universities themselves, and requires co-operation with industry, medical centers, etc., naturally reinforcing competition between universities themselves.

Human factors make things more complicated, because it is hard to reproduce - to become a good scientist and recognized in his field, it takes a long time. Unlike technology, the established scientist can not be immediately replaced by another. It is also interfering with the fact that in recent years the interest of young people in science is visibly reduced. I think this is due not only to inadequate pay, but also to changes in general attitudes and the value system. If we talk about students, the high admission criteria in leading universities diminishes their interest as young people prefer faster and easier earning a diploma and starting a career.

With respect

Very insightful viewpoint, dear Neli. Thank you for sharing it.

Dear Grigorios, thank you for your positive evaluation.

I find your question very timely and accurate.

Grigorios Kyriakopoulos Thank you for the nice compliments. It is an important discussion, I think.

Current university ranking systems evaluate and compare universities on measures of academic and research performance. Although often useful for marketing purposes, the value of ranking systems when examining quality and outcomes is unclear.

Indeed, dear Mohammod, the marketable, quality, and evolutionary viewpoints are also significant dimensions of university rankings.

I don't think so

Best Regards Grigorios Kyriakopoulos

Warm thank you for your contribution to the discussion dear Osama.

I don't think so, because they are many criterion used to rank the Universities, as you are looking to collaborate in your research area, you better get someone who is will to collaborate.

Thanks

Bemani

Yes, the trustworthiness and credibility among collaborators is another important criterion. Thank you dear Ali for noting it.

In my opinion, it is not good to correlate university rankings with research outcome. There are a number of factors such as international collaborations, attracting and retaining talent, developing and maintaining state of art laboratories, updation of the curriculum etc that can influence the academic and research outcome in a university.

Yes dear Jaswinder, I agree with you that these factors mentioned at your post play a decisive role of universities' valuation. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Thanks sir. It is quite informative discussion.

This is an interesting question.

University criteria can give insights about research in universities.

But as with every kind of assessment or decision, it is necessary to see more than one criteria.

Yes dear Konstantinos, the multifaceted co-evaluation of criteria is an imperative need for the successful selection of university studies. Warm thank you for sharing your argumentation at this discussion.

"Are university rankings useful criteria to advance research?"- Sometimes true but not always. Though good teachers are good researchers.

Good researchers having teaching affiliation can teach their students with update knowledge. University ranking goes up with the recognition of good teachers.

Hi,

Students making the choices should understand the reliability of the ranking. Reliable rankings are based on the infrastructure, academics, reputation of the on going research works, and the future prospects of the organization's students.