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Oxford tops THE world rankings

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Original post by Jamie
Are you kidding me? The most harder 'rankers' you'll come across are in the East. Singapore is near mental for it, as is Japan and S.Korea. And as for India and China...


No, I find it quite surprising. With the Asians I am not so surprised. But compare to other European countries, most certainly do not worship rankings as much as England.
Reply 61
Original post by yudothis
Not at all.

You see, that's the problem with making definitive statements, I know of at least two where before a couple of years ago no one even knew uni rankings really existed.


Which countries are you speaking about?
Reply 62
Original post by honour
Whatever happened to Havard?


Universities in the top 20 are so close to each other that their ranking within that group doesn't really matter.

But US universities are disadvantaged compared to British ones by their international outlook, because it's much more difficult to have loads of international students when you located in a big country in a different continent. The UK has no problem attracting students from the rest of the EU, so it's easier for British unis to make big scores in that category.
Reply 63
Original post by yudothis
No, I find it quite surprising. With the Asians I am not so surprised. But compare to other European countries, most certainly do not worship rankings as much as England.

Other European countries totally worship this kind of rankings - even more than in the UK. France and Germany have even reformed their universities precisely to improve their international rankings. The poor standings of their universities have been taken as a humiliation and they have tried to solve it - with mixed results so far.

Germany launched its Exzellenzinitiative in 2005 by concentrating funding on a small group of universities in order give them more research impact (and therefore gain several places in the rankings).
France had a similar strategy in 2011 with the IDEX, and by merging its universities into the PRES in 2006.

Both countries started these policies after the release of the Shanghai rankings in 2003.
Original post by Josb
Other European countries totally worship this kind of rankings - even more than in the UK. France and Germany have even reformed their universities precisely to improve their international rankings. The poor standings of their universities have been taken as a humiliation and they have tried to solve it - with mixed results so far.

Germany launched its Exzellenzinitiative in 2005 by concentrating funding on a small group of universities in order give them more research impact (and therefore gain several places in the rankings).
France had a similar strategy in 2011 with the IDEX, and by merging its universities into the PRES in 2006.

Both countries started these policies after the release of the Shanghai rankings in 2003.



Original post by Josb
Which countries are you speaking about?


I was speaking about Germany and Switzerland.

Before some years ago, no one in Germany gave a **** about rankings. People in Switzerland still don't. In fact, in my team at work, people would be wholly unimpressed if you said you are from Oxford or Cambridge.

Yes, Germany started looking at rankings because recently Germany started investing again in universities. We used to be world leaders under the Kaiser but since WW2, higher education and research was more or less put on the back foot. As you rightly say, from top down that has now changed, because they want to attract not only foreign researchers but also students.

But the important thing that you are forgetting is students - I can tell you that while they might say uni x is better than uni y, the vast majority of school kids and students do not care about rankings.
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and uni rankings.
JK, I'm feeling proud--don't know why.
It's for overall performance as a university, including in teaching and research.

Original post by honour
Whatever happened to Havard?


Knocked off the top spot ages ago.
Original post by Josb
Universities in the top 20 are so close to each other that their ranking within that group doesn't really matter.


Clearly not true.

Difference between No 1 and No 20 on different world university rankings -

QS:
MIT (100) - Columbia (88.6)
Another 11.4 deduction gets you down to No 53.

THE:
Oxford (95) - Northwestern (83.7)
Another 11.3 deduction gets you to No 46.

ARWU:
Harvard (100) - Tokyo (42.2)
Another 57.8 deduction means you no longer exist.

CWUR:
Harvard (100) - Kyoto (66.53)
Another 33.7 gets you off the Top 1000.

US News:
Harvard (100) - Duke (79.2)
Another 20.8 gets you to No 200.

There are many other tables but on first glance they tell a similar story - the Top 20 are not very close to each other.
Original post by Tony S
When I look at the snobs; bullies; ignorant, conceited rich-kids; and personifications of pure arrogance that Oxford University has, by way of the Tory party, put into British Government over the last 40 years, I do not see much to commend the place.

I'd actually rather like to see the place removed from the British academic map. It served a purpose only up until Cambridge was founded, and precious little after real universities like UCL, founded on academic principle rather than wealth and religious bigotry.

Oxford: beautiful city, but the university has had its day. A LONG time ago.

sounds like someone is really jelly about oxford.. guessing you went London Met?
Original post by yudothis
No, I find it quite surprising. With the Asians I am not so surprised. But compare to other European countries, most certainly do not worship rankings as much as England.


Because they have no highly ranked universities.

*has no unis in the top 20 and only 2 in the top 100**
>yeah, well we don't care about rankings anyway. Just some weird Anglo-Saxon obsession.
>gtg, working on my UCL application. Does anyone know where you can do A-Levels in France?
Original post by Copperknickers
Because they have no highly ranked universities.

*has no unis in the top 20 and only 2 in the top 100**
>yeah, well we don't care about rankings anyway. Just some weird Anglo-Saxon obsession.
>gtg, working on my UCL application. Does anyone know where you can do A-Levels in France?


No highly ranked unis =/= no good unis

If anything, I guarantee you that there are a plethora of universities around the continent, whose degrees are much, much better than many a UK uni ahead of them in rankings.
Original post by Little Toy Gun
Interesting assumption.

Oxford's "international outlook" increased by 0.1%, "teaching" increased by 3.1%, "research" by 0.2%, "citation" by 0.4%, "industry income" by 10.6% but of course since 0.1 is a bigger number than 14.3 its increase overall must've been because of international staff and students.


I'm sorry. My mistake. I was comparing with the year before, not last year, where my comment is true.
It's not even the best in England lol
Original post by yudothis
No, I find it quite surprising. With the Asians I am not so surprised. But compare to other European countries, most certainly do not worship rankings as much as England.


This is because many European countries use the comprehensive university system whereas Britain uses the grammar university system with 18+. The French care more about the grandes ecoles than we care about Oxbridge but if you don't go to a grande ecole you will go to the place down the road. Most French don't get in to a grande ecole so for most people in France it doesn't matter which university you went to.
Original post by alexp98
It's not even the best in England lol


Who are you to make that judgement?
Original post by Observatory
This is because many European countries use the comprehensive university system whereas Britain uses the grammar university system with 18+. The French care more about the grandes ecoles than we care about Oxbridge but if you don't go to a grande ecole you will go to the place down the road. Most French don't get in to a grande ecole so for most people in France it doesn't matter which university you went to.


I am not so sure they are Comprehensive as opposed to Dotheboys Hall. If you survive, you get an education.


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Original post by Little Toy Gun
Who are you to make that judgement?


This makes zero sense, I don't need to be anyone special to have this opinion, I'm simply a student. You actually believe in some ranking bs 😂😭 Should probably go and actually look at some other unis in England and the world instead of looking at rankings.

I could ask who are you to agree that Oxford is the best?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by alexp98
This makes zero sense, I don't need to be anyone special to have this opinion, I'm simply a student. You actually believe in some ranking bs 😂😭 Should probably go and actually look at some other unis in England and the world instead of looking at rankings.

I could ask who are you to agree that Oxford is the best?


You are making zero sense. You recognized that you were in no position whatsoever to make that judgement yet you laughed at the face of people who relied on experts. You are like those who would argue with physicians on medical treatments, with biologists on evolution, and judges on the law. Of course you can be the one who is correct on certain and all matters, but the likelihood of that is marvellously tiny.

According to the Research Excellent Framework, with a panel of esteemed professors from all over the world, Oxford has the highest quality of research.

Quality of teaching is less easy to find an authority to judge, but according to the students themselves, Oxford has the highest satisfaction rate with its teaching (whilst Cambridge is in fact No 11 in the UK).

Quality of graduates in the workplace, as judged by employers with data provided by QS, once again puts Oxford on top.

Going by fame, it's even less of a contest - Oxford is more known internationally and more influential, judging from its Wikipedia page views to Facebook likes and engagements.

I am, indeed, no-one, just like you. But the difference between you and me is that even though we both recognized the fact that we were not qualified to judge, you were the one who somehow still did.

And perhaps you can save your lecture, considering the fact that I've read at 4 universities in 3 continents, teaching in a 4th continent, and was an international student going into the UK, I'm pretty sure I'm much more aware of the existence of universities world-wide than you are; and I dare say, more familiar with them than you are.
Original post by Little Toy Gun
You are making zero sense. You recognized that you were in no position whatsoever to make that judgement yet you laughed at the face of people who relied on experts. You are like those who would argue with physicians on medical treatments, with biologists on evolution, and judges on the law. Of course you can be the one who is correct on certain and all matters, but the likelihood of that is marvellously tiny.

According to the Research Excellent Framework, with a panel of esteemed professors from all over the world, Oxford has the highest quality of research.

Quality of teaching is less easy to find an authority to judge, but according to the students themselves, Oxford has the highest satisfaction rate with its teaching (whilst Cambridge is in fact No 11 in the UK).

Quality of graduates in the workplace, as judged by employers with data provided by QS, once again puts Oxford on top.

Going by fame, it's even less of a contest - Oxford is more known internationally and more influential, judging from its Wikipedia page views to Facebook likes and engagements.

I am, indeed, no-one, just like you. But the difference between you and me is that even though we both recognized the fact that we were not qualified to judge, you were the one who somehow still did.

And perhaps you can save your lecture, considering the fact that I've read at 4 universities in 3 continents, teaching in a 4th continent, and was an international student going into the UK, I'm pretty sure I'm much more aware of the existence of universities world-wide than you are; and I dare say, more familiar with them than you are.


Since you are keen on relying on the experts:
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings

Doesn't look like Oxford is the best, pal.
Original post by alexp98
Since you are keen on relying on the experts:
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings

Doesn't look like Oxford is the best, pal.



If we consider ranking in itself an expert, then we will have to consider ALL of them. When we consider all of them, we will find Oxford not No 1 in the world (Harvard is) but it's still No 1 in Europe. That is, unless you can explain how CUG is more of an expert than THE is.

CUG did not consult any expert - they didn't have input from academics to judge quality of research, they didn't have input from educationists to judge quality of teaching, they didn't have input from employers to judge quality of graduates in the workplace. THE did - it consulted academics and employers. This is why I can disregard CUG ever if I'm holding on to THE (which I'm not to begin with) but you can't disregard THE when you're holding on to CUG.

And didn't you say we need to look at universities in the world? Why are you using a domestic table to counter a global one then? Judging from your posts, you don't seem to be able to form proper arguments, probably couldn't comprehend arguments (since you didn't actually respond properly - I've never claimed rankings to be authorities in and of themselves), but at least be consistent!
(edited 7 years ago)

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