Abstract
The paper shows the high efficiency of the Shanghai University Ranking for assessing the top quality of higher education and identifying national strategies for the development of the highest university potential across the world in 2003–2021. The strengths of this rating, which make it the most perfect today, are objectivity, validity, probability, reliability, transparency, clarity, parametric expediency, top-university mission compliance. Its application makes it possible to find out the main modifications of the university strategy–2 (strategy for the development of higher education of the highest quality). The most groundbreaking were France’s strategic initiative to concentrate university resources by merging leading universities and China’s strategy to consolidate universities and to provide strong targeted support to leading institutions. Concomitantly, in Japan, the lack of a holistic national strategy has led to multiple losses for both world-class universities (in the top 500 group) and extra-class universities (in the top 30 group). Shanghai University Ranking showed an intensification of competition in the field of top higher education. The number of countries represented by universities in the top 30, top 100 and top 500 groups has increased. The US position has deteriorated, although it remains the world’s absolute university leader. The second place is occupied by the United Kingdom. France moved to third place. As stated by the Shanghai University Ranking, Ukraine is increasingly lagging behind the progress of higher education in the world, is not included in the list of 63 countries / territories of the general version and up to 93 countries / territories of the sectoral (54 academic subjects) version of the 2021 rating. Ukraine needs the urgent development and implementation of national strategy-2 for the development of higher education.
Highlights
Intensive development of university rankings during 2003–2021 and its use in practice has created new opportunities to identify the true state of higher education quality and develop adequate strategies to increase its competitiveness
There was a problem of rating capacity of the ratings themselves, the selection of the most effective and recognized among them and outlining the scope of their application (Shanghai Ranking, 2021; THE ..., 2021; QS ..., 2021; Ranking Web ..., 2021; Salmi, 2009; Talanova, 2010; Slyusarenko, 2015; University Quality ..., 2015; Lugovyi, Slyusarenko & Talanova, 2019; 2020; IREG ..., 2020; IREG ..., 2021; Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, 2018)
Based on theoretical developments of higher education quality it is proved that university rankings are an integral part of the system of mechanisms for evaluating higher education, which are indispensable for determining the quality of the highest excellence (Talanova, 2010; Slyusarenko, 2015; Lugovyi, Slyusarenko & Talanova, 2019; 2020; 2020a; 2020b; Lugovyi & Talanova, 2018, 2020)
Summary
The annual data of international university rankings, Shanghai Ranking, THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, Ranking Web of Universities (Shanghai Ranking, 2021; THE ..., 2021; QS ..., 2021; Ranking Web ..., 2021). Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European University Association, IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence, World Bank given the sphere of higher education in Ukraine (OECD, 2009, 2021, 2021a; University Quality ..., 2015; IREG ..., 2021; IREG ..., 2020; World Bank Group, 2019). The authors’ studies on international and national rating systems, university mission, the concept and characteristics of higher education quality, mechanisms for its evaluation and creation of profiles, scientifically sound recommendations for strategic development of national higher education and others (Lugovyi, Slyusarenko & Talanova, 2019; 2020; 2020a; 2020b). The use of literary sources is indicated in the presentation of main results
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