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11/09/2007
NUS and NTU ranking drop
The Times London Higher Education Supplement has ranked NUS and NTU at 33 and 69 respectively compared to 19 and 61 the previous year. This call for alarm. Our rankings have dropped! Though the reports still considered the two universities as world class, they are dropping and will drop out of the top 100 soon. Jialat.
Actually, when looking at the criteria and how the rankings were done, it is a western biased and pseudo intellectual ranking that is as good as a straw poll from people on the streets. What is so great about being ranked high by using digits on number of foreign students or faculty staff or staff student ratio? What is important should be the quality of the staff, their academic achievements and also the quality of the students produced.
What is the point of ranking as number one when the students are all but average?
UCL not only ranked in the top 10, but placed before MIT?
ReplyDeleteThe Times Ranking has totally lost its credibility on me.
And guys, don't forget this classic ad for the National University of Singapore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObK5Bb6RnaI
I'm quite sure our NUS and NTU are top class. Going by our 'A' level results of our undergrad cohort, I'm pretty sure they can make it to any of the top British or US University...easily.
ReplyDeleteProblem is studying at these universities cost a lot of money and a limited number of places are alloted for foreigners. However, if your old man is rich or influential, you can easily secure a place, provided your results are not to srewed up. (donations work wonder, kinda like ACS in Singapore; I'm not exaggerating, there was a 20/20 documentary on how rich kids breeze into Ivy League e.g. children of Ralph Lauren)
For an average bloke, study damn hard and try to qualify for that elusive Govt scholarship. If not, go for post Grad MBA. Actually, getting Post Grad MBA admission is easier than admission for the undergrad course.
Intelligence is not measured by A level results alone. Singaporean universities are good, and so are a good portion of their students - but they tend to have a worldview equal in size to that of their island.
ReplyDeleteYou know, not willing to read beyond the lecture notes, or beyond their field. Rigid, boring, and terrible mindset.
Lacks the dynamicism and the creativity, and the excitement foreign students exhibit.
For such reasons I'd rather settle for a second-tier overseas institution.
I can't speak for MBA, but the intake for most postgraduate courses is only a fraction of the undergraduate intake. It is thus more competitive to enter a postgraduate course - and we all know that it's harder to graduate with a doctorate than to nab a lucrative job at Wall Street.
hi bh, welcome to the blog.
ReplyDeletei am taking issue at this obsession to be ranked. a similar trait to scoring straight As and forget about the whole purpose of getting an education.
we need to define what is considered a good university and a good education and not be dependent on the criteria of another agency which may be so artificial and nonsensical to what good university and good education is all about.
Rankings come and go; up and down. Rankings are ARBITRARY, hardly ever OBJECTIVE.
ReplyDeleteDo you know of any idiots from Havard and Yale?
I know quite a few!
I think there is no need to take this kind of report seriously, especially one done in UK. Look at how many UK universities moved up the ranking! It's obvious. I am sure they will change the criteria again but be sure many UK universities will be there, including those no one has heard of. A university is considered good not be means of such ranking.
ReplyDeletequite sad for NTU sia.. hope next year can get better, they must excel and focus in every area and possibilities, not only focusing on the ranking criteria.
ReplyDelete