EDC Update: New University Ranking System launched

U-Multirank, a new university rankings system has been launched under the Irish Presidency of the European Union.

This initiative is an attempt to broaden the current rankings systems which many consider to be too narrow in their focus, particularly with the media emphasis on league tables. 

Instead U-Multirank uses a broad range of indicators that will enable users to compare the performance and profile of institutions across five dimensions of higher education and research activities:

 Teaching and learning
 Research
 Knowledge transfer
 International orientation
 Regional engagement

Some 500 universities are expected to sign up to take part, with the first rankings results expected in early 2014.  An independent consortium will compile the ranking, led by the Centre for Higher Education (CHE) in Germany and the Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) in the Netherlands.


Further information
The U-Multirank website explains the project in all its facets.

For the honours student, the European Commission final report on the initiative runs through the myriad of complex issues involved  in designing a 'Multidimensional Global University Ranking System'.

Finally the following online article gives some background to recent press comment about the initiative.


Hugo Kelly
Law, Official Publications & EDC Librarian

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