{"id":572010,"date":"2020-06-08T04:23:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T04:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/"},"modified":"2020-06-08T04:23:50","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T04:23:50","slug":"why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems","status":"publish","type":"blackboard","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Why do Egypt\u2019s international private universities lag in <\/strong>global rankings? And does it even matter?<\/strong> Egypt\u2019s international private universities frequently head up domestic lists<\/a> of the country\u2019s best post-secondary institutions thanks to international accreditation and a reputation for academic rigor. Attracting more international students is a priority<\/a> for private universities and the Egyptian government. And new regulations under development<\/a> by the Higher Education Ministry require any new university to form an academic partnership with an international university. But international private universities don\u2019t generally top Egypt\u2019s university representation in global ranking systems.<\/p>\n

What does it mean? <\/strong>That private and international universities in Egypt lag their state-run counterparts? Not necessarily: It comes down to whether you\u2019re ranking research output (where state institutions are ahead) or teaching quality and the total student experience for undergraduates.<\/p>\n

Which rankings do we really care about? <\/strong>There is close to a consensus among the sources we spoke to, and online, that the three most important and influential<\/a> ranking systems out of the many that exist<\/a> are the QS World University Rankings<\/a>, the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings<\/a>, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWO or the Shanghai Ranking)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All but QS places a heavy weight on research, citations, and awards<\/strong>:<\/strong> QS rankings are heavily weighted in favor of academic and employer reputation, with only 20% of the ranking related to citations or research. THE rankings<\/a> emphasize citations and research, which collectively comprise 60% of the ranking, mostly because research and citations can be quantified \u2014 while other criteria like a university\u2019s reputation is much more subjective, THE rankings editor Ellie Bothwell tells Enterprise. ARWU rankings place particular value on the number of alumni and staff who win Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, as well as research and citations, which altogether count for 90% of an institution\u2019s ranking.<\/p>\n

Where exactly do Egypt\u2019s international and private universities rank? <\/strong>In the QS 2020 World University rankings<\/a>, AUC was the only non-state university to be featured, tied at #395. In the THE 2020 World University rankings<\/a>, AUC was again the only non-state university to feature, ranked among the group of 801-1000, sharing seventh place in Egypt with Ain Shams, Benha and Tanta universities. In the ARWU 2019 rankings, not a single private Egyptian university featured in its ranking of 1k universities around the world.<\/p>\n

Public universities do better across the board. <\/strong>The universities of Aswan, Mansoura, Suez Canal, Beni Suef, Cairo and Kafr El Sheikh all outrank private universities in THE\u2019s World University 2020 rankings. QS, meanwhile, ranks the universities of Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria and Assiut within its top 1000, all coming in below AUC but above any other private university. For ARWU it\u2019s the universities of Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria, Mansoura and Zagazig that make the top 1000.<\/p>\n

Rankings do matter, but it\u2019s important to recognize their limits and view them in context.<\/strong> \u201cNo institution wishing to compete globally \u2014 or even nationally \u2014 can afford to ignore [rankings],\u201d writes Imperial College professor<\/a> Stephen Curry. But we need to focus less on the sheer numbers and also think about the limitations of what they can measure, he adds.<\/p>\n

So what are the main limitations? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Research-heavy ranking systems put less importance on things that matter to business when you\u2019re assessing a university as a potential source of talent.<\/strong> Many crucial aspects of the student experience are not assessed in these rankings, including the applicability of skills to the job market, the quality of facilities and resources, student-to-professor ratios and the availability of professors, multiple sources say<\/a>. \u201cThe factors included in ranking are not enough to measure the quality of education,\u201d says AUC\u2019s Ahmed Tolba, Associate Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management. While research is an important part of academia, Mohamed El Shinnawi, an advisor to Egypt\u2019s Higher Education Minister, says other factors should be considered, pointing to \u201cStudent employability after graduation, the curricula and programs, the way students are taught, how graduates adapt to what their local or regional markets need.\u201d QS designs their rankings<\/a> primarily for students, but other systems are more aimed at university leadership, a 2013 Guardian piece<\/a> notes.<\/p>\n

Rankings are calibrated to reward \u201cthe UK and US model of a university.\u201d <\/strong>Newer universities could be at a disadvantage overall because ranking systems tend to prioritize research, citation and awards, which are not the primary focus early in a university\u2019s life cycle, when teaching is the priority. Older institutions are far more likely to have produced Nobel Prize or Fields Medal<\/a> winners \u2014 important criteria for the ARWU rankings, says Mohamed Eid, BUE\u2019s Director of the Internationalisation Office. Wealthier universities can afford to employ more research-focused staff, and lighten their teaching schedules, argues Tolba. And social privilege allows established global universities, with excellent reputations, to continue setting the tone for what is valued, argues Research Fellow Alice Bell<\/a>. \u201cOur methodology is about ten years old, so probably really caters more for the UK and US model of a university,\u201d says Bothwell. \u201cThat's potentially another reason why some of these universities in Egypt are just lower down in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even if a student cared about a university\u2019s research, rankings don\u2019t always make available data to corroborate their findings. <\/strong>For example, Aswan University, which tops Egypt\u2019s THE 2020 rankings<\/a>, basically gets a perfect score for citations, says Bothwell \u2014 meaning that its research was cited more often than any other Egyptian university that year. But without the methodology made publicly available<\/a>, it is difficult to know whether the citations come from a broad spectrum of research papers or a small number of papers that have been frequently cited this year without consulting the raw data \u2014 which isn\u2019t publicly available, Bothwell tells us.<\/p>\n

But rankings do matter to Egypt\u2019s universities \u2014 particularly in attracting talented staff and students<\/strong>, says Yehia Bahei El Din, BUE\u2019s Vice President for Research & Postgraduate Studies. In this sense, they are arguably more important for private universities \u2014 which recruit students \u2014 than for public ones. And strong research departments are a big pull for prospective staff members, he adds. Rankings can also affect the level of interest from international bodies like Horizon 2020<\/a> or the Newton-Mosharafa Fund<\/a> in providing grants or working with a particular university, says El Shinnawi.<\/p>\n

So in marketing themselves, the universities do leverage rankings \u2014 but they also seek accreditation<\/strong>, use networks and emphasize their unique value propositions. AUC regularly seeks accreditation from certain carefully selected organizations \u2014 such as the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE)<\/a> and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)<\/a>, a consortium recognized by the US Department of Education, says President Francis Ricciardone. And it taps into its international status as a draw to prospective students. \u201cWe\u2019re not Harvard,\u201d says Ricciardone, \u201cbut Harvard also isn\u2019t us.\u201d<\/strong> Students don\u2019t just come to AUC to study particular subjects they can specialize in. They come because of the way the university teaches and the experience they will have studying in Egypt, he adds.<\/p>\n

So ultimately, where are rankings valuable?<\/strong> They\u2019re important as a framework for comparison, as long as you don\u2019t take them too seriously \u2014 or literally. And for Egyptian universities, they can serve as a push to become better and develop their research capacities, says Bahei El Din \u2014 though he stresses that rankings are a byproduct of good work, and not an end in themselves.<\/p>\n

Possible change to come?<\/strong> Established systems don\u2019t change overnight, but there may also be concrete changes on the horizon. The data officers who design these ranking systems understand the need to more fairly assess teaching and are making efforts to do so, in spite of the challenges that restructuring brings, this THE blog post<\/a> suggests. The THE would have announced a new methodology for ranking<\/a> in September 2020, but is delaying the announcement probably by a year because of covid-19, says Bothwell. The new methodology may be more reflective of the global nature of higher education<\/strong>, she says. And new developments \u2014 both social challenges and academic disciplines \u2014 will make regular review of these evaluation systems essential, as different skills are prioritized, multiple sources predict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do Egypt\u2019s international private universities lag in global rankings? And does it even matter? Egypt\u2019s international private universities frequently head up domestic lists of the country\u2019s best post-secondary institutions thanks to international accreditation and a reputation for academic rigor. Attracting more international students is a priority for private universities and the Egyptian government. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":572011,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[3309,171,5253,169,7095,73,3310,179,72,5254,3308,9300,5255],"class_list":["post-572010","blackboard","type-blackboard","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-academic-ranking-of-world-universities","tag-ahmed-tolba","tag-aswan-university","tag-auc","tag-blackboard","tag-education","tag-ellie-bothwell","tag-enterprise-blackboard","tag-enterpriseam","tag-mohamed-el-shinnawi","tag-qs-world-university-rankings","tag-world-university-rankings","tag-yehia-bahei-el-din","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"0a724303-999f-42de-927c-98400abd1536","is_powered_by":true,"section_story_id":"4bcdbed6-e313-45b8-b821-5973fd77c637","story_type":"2","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg","photo_position":"above","related_issue":[571984],"teaser":"","voice_url":""},"yoast_head":"\nWhy are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems? - EnterpriseAM Egypt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why do Egypt\u2019s international private universities lag in global rankings? And does it even matter? Egypt\u2019s international private universities frequently head up domestic lists of the country\u2019s best post-secondary institutions thanks to international accreditation and a reputation for academic rigor. Attracting more international students is a priority for private universities and the Egyptian government. And […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EnterpriseAM Egypt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/\",\"name\":\"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems? - EnterpriseAM Egypt\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-06-08T04:23:50+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blackboard\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/\",\"name\":\"EnterpriseAM\",\"description\":\"The State of the Nation\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#organization\",\"name\":\"EnterpriseAM\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/240894.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/240894.svg\",\"caption\":\"EnterpriseAM\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems? - EnterpriseAM Egypt","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems?","og_description":"Why do Egypt\u2019s international private universities lag in global rankings? And does it even matter? Egypt\u2019s international private universities frequently head up domestic lists of the country\u2019s best post-secondary institutions thanks to international accreditation and a reputation for academic rigor. Attracting more international students is a priority for private universities and the Egyptian government. And […]","og_url":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/","og_site_name":"EnterpriseAM Egypt","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/","url":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/","name":"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems? - EnterpriseAM Egypt","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1","datePublished":"2020-06-08T04:23:50+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2020\/6\/85.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/why-are-international-private-universities-not-topping-the-scoreboard-in-egypts-representation-in-global-ranking-systems\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blackboard","item":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Why are international private universities not topping the scoreboard in Egypt\u2019s representation in global ranking systems?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#website","url":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/","name":"EnterpriseAM","description":"The State of the Nation","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#organization","name":"EnterpriseAM","url":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/240894.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/240894.svg","caption":"EnterpriseAM"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blackboard\/572010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blackboard"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blackboard"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blackboard\/572010\/revisions"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue\/571984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/572011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}