Global test for varsities

IT WAS encouraging to read that South African universities were rated among the top 15 universities in Africa in the Times Higher Education ranking. UCT and Wits topped the list, while Stellenbosch came fourth and UKZN fifth. In third place was Uganda’s Makerere University. It is the first time Times has done rankings focusing only on African universities.

But the celebrations were dampened by the release of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking report, which rated universities in Brics countries.

The QS ratings showed SA universities were the worst performing among the Brics nations. None featured in the top 10 when compared with counterparts in Brazil, Russia, India and China.

UCT was ranked 14th, five places lower than last year, while Wits was placed 28th. Only four local universities made it to the top 50. China dominated the QS list with seven institutions in the top 10, claiming the first three positions.

The criteria universities are scored on include research influence (the number of citations the research of academics received) and international outlook (the ratio of international staff and students).

Rankings are critical to ascertain the competitiveness of an institution, but it is just as important to put things into perspective.

THE HISTORICAL challenges South Africa face as far as its education system is concerned do not exist in other Brics countries and its budget does not come close to the deep pockets of these countries.

The convener of the QS global academic advisory board, Martin Ince, said: “South Africa has ferocious social and political problems to which there is no overnight solution. But it’s also a technologically advanced nation, and the richest per capita in Africa.”

Regardless of the challenges South Africa face, it should still aim to be rated among the best in the world because the reality is that the global village has become smaller and our children are competing with the rest – and best – of the world.