Concentration of Human Capital in Research Universities as the Basis of Competitiveness of Education Systems and Its Reflection in Global University Rankings

Abstract

This paper presents an approach to evaluating the role of research universities in national scientific and technological development. It includes an analysis of the level of human capital concentration in the world’s leading research universities and their contribution to the making of new scientific knowledge. It shows that over the recent decades, the governments of many countries have been putting a lot of effort into building national networks of competitive world-class research universities as part of academic excellence programmes. The focus is on the experience of France (COMUE), Germany (Excellence Strategy), Republic ofKorea (Brain Korea) and China (Double First World Class). The paper shows that the key global university rankings are based on a research university model, with changes in the ranking positions indicating national governments’ efforts to concentrate human capital in leading research universities. Evaluation of the economic efficiency of the Russell Group universities (the UK) serves to show the impact of the third mission of a university on national economy and society. Leading research universities are regarded as a basis for meeting the demands of their national economies for highly qualified staff, new scientific knowledge, technology and innovation, which are vital for speeding up the rate of scientific and technological as wellas social and economic development.