It is envisioned that the system will make it possible to compare and benchmark institutions in the EU and beyond, both as institutions as a whole and across different disciplines.
The Commission says this it not a beauty parade, or a stick to beat up Europe’s underperforming universities, but a tool to help institutions better position themselves and inform their development strategies, quality and performance.
Having accessible, transparent and comparable information will make it easier for stakeholders and, in particular, students to make informed choices between the different institutions and their programmes.
In the Commission’s view existing rankings, such as The Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University or the Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking, do not fulfil this purpose because they only focus on certain aspects of research and on entire institutions, rather than on individual programmes and disciplines.
It is proposed that the European Commission’s ranking will cover all types of universities and other higher education institutions, as well as research institutes.
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