By MIKOspace
Bogus World Universities Rankings promote Mediocrity and Worthless
Value as Excellence
True research excellence is the product
of passion and genuine scientific investigative efforts directed at purposeful
outcomes in the form of “discoveries
that will benefit Singaporeans and humankind globally” (Dr Tony
Tan, 29 Jul 2006). The desired goal of NTU research is “the harnessing and capturing of value” (Dr Tony Tan, 29 Mar 2007). This is our Definition of “Research Excellence”.
Singapore
Universities NUS and NTU were recently ranked among the Top by THE (Times
Higher Education) World University Rankings. The London-based Quacquarelli
Symonds (QS) ranked NTU as the World’s Youngest Best University.
For QS Rankers, Research
“Excellence” is measured by a questionable proxy measure called “Citations per
faculty (20%)”.
Their
“Citations” indicator aims to assess Universities’
Research Output. A ‘citation’ means a piece of research being cited
(referred to) within another piece of research. Generally, the more often a
piece of research is cited by others, the more influential it is. A rather simple but nonetheless naïve and invalid construct of
“Research Excellence”, revealing
QS’ ignorance and lack of understanding regarding Universities Research
Excellence.
Popular facts mentioned that Albert Einstein only published 3 papers. Many NTU and NUS professors however, like
many of their counterparts elsewhere, actually publish more journal papers than
Nobel Prize potentials and winners!
For QS Rankers, the winning Soccer Team
is determined by counting the number of passes and ball possessions instead of
the overall goals score impact!
Seriously, how VALID or Significant would this be?
There should be clear, ample proof that
“new” knowledge contained and “cited” in these journal and conference papers is
in fact of some degree of significance public value.
QS
Rankers failed to evaluate the extent to which NTU had attained its Goal
directive to “harness and capture value” (Dr Tony Tan, 29 Mar 2007).
Such glaringly blatant and obvious
defects should NOT have escaped the penetrative professional scrutiny of NTU
Senior Management and Administrators, many of whom eminent Professors and Researchers
themselves, who had pronounced and unashamedly embraced the spurious and bogus
QS Rankings to position our University in spite of its lack of validity and
reliability of their Criterion measures.
In
doing so, irreparable damage was done to the great authentic reputation of
Singapore. Singapore universities should no longer
participate in any Global Universities Ranking scams, no matter what
other “famous” Universities had been included.
All Marketing collaterals making references to the bogus University
Rankings should also be cleansed of the lie and return our Institution to
Authentic levels of transparency and integrity.
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