The Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) excellence has once again been recognised when the University made it into the 2021 Best Global Universities Rankings (BGUR). The University was ranked no 12 among the Best Universities in South Africa and 1 044 among the best Global Universities.
The University of Cape Town has been ranked as the no 1 University in South Africa and is in position 103 among the Best Global Universities.
The 2021 BGUR looked at a total of 86 countries to name the world’s top 1 500 universities.
According to Dr Dhaya Naidoo, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Technology & Chief Information Officer (CIO), universities are ranked according to 13 indicators that measure their academic and research performance, as well as their regional and global reputation.
“Among the 13 indicators are Publications, International collaboration and Global research reputation,” he adds.
“TUT has consistently been doing well in global rankings since it has first been ranked by the world-leading THE World University Rankings in 2019. Like BGUR, THE World University Rankings also uses global performance tables across the core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook to judge universities across the world.
“TUT’s rise in the world university rankings should be celebrated for several reasons. Only 16 years into its existence, this young institution already ranks among the top 1 500 universities globally, is ranked one of the top 13 universities in South Africa and is the only university of technology in the country that made it into the BGUR rankings,” Dr Naidoo continues.
Asked why these rankings are important, Dr Naidoo said, “Rankings have become a significant part of the tertiary education landscape, both globally and locally. In this landscape, rankings have risen in importance and proliferated in many ways. Undoubtedly, rankings now play such a big role in shaping the opinions of current and potential students, parents, employers, and government about the quality of tertiary education institutions.”
He adds, “Higher education rankings also benefit universities because they serve as a catalyst to attract the best brains and talent to teach. The ranking also provides international partners with information on universities for academic collaboration.”
“The importance of rankings should not be underestimated. Where students obtain their qualifications, retain some importance in their employment options. Rankings influence our view of academia and prestige and therefore affect institutional and personal decision-making – as well as policies and practices,” Dr Naidoo concludes.