International rankings on the competitiveness of universities in global educational space

Abstract

International university rankings are a relatively new phenomenon in the global educational space, yet over the years, they have become an authoritative tool for assessing the effectiveness of universities’ functioning. The present study aims to determine the impact of the position of higher educational institutions in international rankings on the level of their competitiveness. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, the authors identify international university rankings they consider the most important and compile a typology of international university rankings. Based on an expert survey of 64 representatives of the management of Russian universities, competitive advantages of universities are defined, and the most popular international university rankings are distinguished. International rankings serve as a sophisticated tool for assessing the competitiveness of universities due to the recognition of the university in the global educational and scientific space.

Keywords

• Competitive advantage
• Education
• National interest
• Teachers