ACADEMIC RATINGS – A MIRROR IMAGE OF GLOBALIZATION IN EDUCATION

Abstract

The paper examines the phenomenon of academic ratings and a brief history of their emergence. The authors provide a generalized description of the most influential ratings. The views of supporters and opponents of academic ratings have been analyzed. It has been shown that under conditions of globalization processes in education, academic ratings are considered by a number of scientists as one of the tools intended for measuring the competitiveness of educational institutions, forming a strategy for further development of universities and their transformation. Given the fact that the issue of the methodology of academic ratings and the logic of their use remains debatable, the arguments from the opponents of the rating have been analyzed. In particular, the opinion is expressed that the main indicators that affect the place in most of the currently existing ratings are relevant for research universities that have extremely powerful sources of funding, which determines their competitiveness and consistently high rating positions. In this regard, the ratings from a tool for measuring the quality of education have partly turned into an economic and political tool with a "perceptible geopolitical flavor", which is unlikely to lead to a significant improvement in the quality of education. Attention is focused on the fact that the currently existing rating methodology can be appropriate only for world-class universities, which make up 3 – 5% of the total number of higher education institutions in different countries globally. In the conclusions, the authors point out that the ratings, despite their debatable nature, have become both an integral part of the management culture and the global information space, as well as a driver of positive changes in the educational environment of universities.

Keywords

• globalization
• competitiveness
• academic ratings
• world-class universities
• quality of education