Copenhagen plummets in new Times rankings

University drops to lowly 177th from 51st as new methodology kicks in

by Mike Young

Take away its subjective reputation and its name, and the University of Copenhagen is not one of the world’s best universities.

This is the most obvious interpretation after Copenhagen, as predicted by the University Post Wednesday, has dropped like a stone in the Times Higher Education rankings.

It now only manages a lowly 177th position following the new methodology. Last year it scored a top-tier ranking of 51st. To add insult to injury, Copenhagen is bettered by Technical University of Denmark DTU (122) and University of Århus (167).

Old ranking was biased, says Times

The Times Higher Education World University Ranking has a new methodology where the so-called subjective measures have been reduced.

The QS ranking, using the old methodology, was released recently and showed the University of Copenhagen among the world's elite in the 45th position.

But the QS ranking, and many other rankings of this type, have been criticised for circularity, with scholars’ appraisals of high reputation universities being reinforced by the prestige of previous rankings.

Reputation now only 20 pct.

Times Higher Education, probably one of the most cited indices, has stopped its co-operation with QS, and is now working with Thomson Reuters for their new World University Ranking.

This has, according to Times Higher Education, meant less weight to scholars' rating of institutions based on reputation, and more weight to objective measures. Reputational measures, now account for only 20 per cent of the overall score, they say.

Read Director of Communications Jasper Steen Winkel's alternative interpretation here.

miy@adm.ku.dk

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