<Research Notes>Trends and Issues of World University Rankings

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  • <研究ノート>世界大学ランキングの動向と課題
  • 世界大学ランキングの動向と課題
  • セカイ ダイガク ランキング ノ ドウコウ ト カダイ

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Abstract

It has been ten years since the first world university ranking was published in 2003. Used as a resource to assess the quality of universities around the world, the rankings have become increasingly popular. However, the methodologies used to create the rankings have been criticized for various reasons. Most importantly, there is a risk that the rankings could have a negative impact on the development of a diverse higher education system that is essential to the emerging knowledge-based society. As a result, scholars and experts in higher education have begun to re-examine how university rankings should be determined. Based on a literature review of five types of international university ranking systems, this article discusses the trends and the main issues involved in creating world university rankings. World university rankings use league tables that evaluate the overall excellence of a university with a one-dimensional scale focusing on research. More recently, new ranking systems have emerged that aim to recognize the diversity of universities and compare their performance by using multidimensional approach. However, the biggest challenge continues to be the lack of internationally comparable data on higher education. As the globalization of higher education markets progresses, it is urgent that Japanese universities and the Japanese government develop systems to accurately present and deliver information on the performance of Japan's universities.

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