In June, US News & World Report published its annual survey, the “World’s Best Colleges and Universities.” Among the 400 outstanding schools listed, 93 institutions, or nearly 25 percent, were in the US.
Four Taiwanese universities made the list. National Taiwan University (NTU) was ranked 124th, down from 102nd last year. The other three Taiwanese universities on the list were National Tsing Hua University (281st), National Yang-Ming University (341st) and National Cheng Kung University (354th).
Eight Chinese universities also made the list, with Peking University ranked 50th, along with South Korea’s Seoul National University and Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Five Hong Kong universities were listed, led by the University of Hong Kong at 26th.
The US News & World Report started publishing its rankings of the world’s best colleges 25 years ago. Many consider it an authoritative reference on university rankings in the US and has gained in influence over the years. Parents and high school teachers often refer to these rankings when advising graduating students on their university applications, and many university alumni and school boards place much importance on the magazine’s annual scoreboard.
The report evaluates and ranks the world’s universities in terms of six criteria. Academic peer review accounts for 40 percent, employer review 10 percent, student-to-faculty ratio 20 percent, thesis citations per faculty member 20 percent, and international student and international faculty factors 5 percent each.
Comparing the top-scoring institutions in Taiwan and China, NTU scored an admirable 54 points in the citations category, compared with 34 for Peking University. This suggests that NTU’s academic research quality is much higher than that of its rival in Beijing.
In the academic peer review category, however, Peking University received full marks (100), while NTU only got 87.
In terms of student-to-faculty ratio, Peking University’s score was more than twice as high as NTU’s.
As for international student and international faculty factors, NTU and Peking University were rated equal.
The magazine’s college rankings have been the subject of controversy since they were first published, and many Americans have found fault with its methodology. Some universities have also refused to be included, saying the rankings were at odds with their educational philosophy. Fortunately, there are many other school rankings around the world that offer varying standards and results. Although we should not care too much about rankings, it does not hurt to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Taiwan’s higher education system and scientific research based on the data.
The University of Hong Kong’s prominent ranking on the list could be attributed to its solid teaching and well-financed research, as well as high degree of internationalization. In contrast, NTU scored poorly on student-to-faculty ratio, probably because of a shortage of funds. NTU has an average of 35 full-time students in each class, compared with 24 for Peking University. The onus is on Taiwan’s government to provide colleges and universities with more funds for teaching and research.
The academic peer review score is the most important factor in the rankings, accounting for 40 percent of the overall score. Peking University was awarded a perfect 100 in academic ranking. This result may be a little surprising, but it can be explained. Peking University is the top university in China. Among all the students in China, the few who can squeeze into Peking University are the cream of the crop. Many Peking University graduates go on to study at famous colleges abroad, with a large number leaving a good impression on their professors.
Another reason could be China’s rapidly developing economy. Academics in other countries are very curious about China. In recent years, Peking University has invited many renowned academics from around the world to give lectures at its campus, which has raised the university’s international profile. Compared with Peking University, NTU is not as well known internationally. It is neither internationalized nor globally competitive enough, so it is hard for it to attract more outstanding academics and students.
Peking University’s thesis citation rate was much lower than NTU’s, but it has improved a lot in recent years. It has recruited a lot of talent from overseas, and many well-known academics are keen to work there. This interaction has helped boost Peking University’s citation rate and improve its reputation among professors and students around the world.
Teachers and graduates of various universities in Taiwan have made an inestimable contribution to the development of the nation’s democracy and to its economic growth. That is something that can hardly be measured by citation rates, peer reviews and the like. Still, Taiwanese universities have room for improvement in terms of higher education and academic research. Let us hope that we will see more Taiwanese universities ranked among the world’s best in the future.
Yeh Chingwen is chief executive officer of the Zeng Xian Cultural Foundation
TRANSLATED BY TED YANG AND JULIAN CLEGG
In an article published in Newsweek on Monday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged China to retake territories it lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. “If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take back Russia?” Lai asked, referring to territories lost in 1858 and 1860. The territories once made up the two flanks of northern Manchuria. Once ceded to Russia, they became part of the Russian far east. Claims since then have been made that China and Russia settled the disputes in the 1990s through the 2000s and that “China
China has successfully held its Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, with 53 of 55 countries from the African Union (AU) participating. The two countries that did not participate were Eswatini and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which have no diplomatic relations with China. Twenty-four leaders were reported to have participated. Despite African countries complaining about summit fatigue, with recent summits held with Russia, Italy, South Korea, the US and Indonesia, as well as Japan next month, they still turned up in large numbers in Beijing. China’s ability to attract most of the African leaders to a summit demonstrates that it is still being
Trips to the Kenting Peninsula in Pingtung County have dredged up a lot of public debate and furor, with many complaints about how expensive and unreasonable lodging is. Some people even call it a tourist “butchering ground.” Many local business owners stake claims to beach areas by setting up parasols and driving away people who do not rent them. The managing authority for the area — Kenting National Park — has long ignored the issue. Ultimately, this has affected the willingness of domestic travelers to go there, causing tourist numbers to plummet. In 2008, Taiwan opened the door to Chinese tourists and in
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday was handcuffed and escorted by police to the Taipei Detention Center, after the Taipei District Court ordered that he be detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption during his tenure as Taipei mayor. The ruling reversed an earlier decision by the same court on Monday last week that ordered Ko’s release without bail. That decision was appealed by prosecutors on Wednesday, leading the High Court to conclude that Ko had been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and it ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Video clips
RSS