The recently published World University Rankings 2024 included 21 Kazakh universities.
The QS ranking, based on global research and developed by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluates universities based on various criteria related to education and research.
In previous versions of the ranking, six key criteria were used: academic reputation, citation of research papers, faculty-student ratio, career prospects, the number of international faculty, and international students.
However, this year, in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the ranking, the most significant methodological revision in its history was conducted. Three new indicators were introduced: sustainability, graduate employment outcomes, and international research network.
The following changes were observed:
- The weight of the academic reputation coefficient decreased from 40% to 30%.
- The faculty-student ratio also decreased to 10%.
- The indicator for graduate employment outcomes increased by 5%, now accounting for 15% of the ranking.
- The coefficient for citation of research papers, which accounts for 20%, now includes a normalized overall citation count to consider different norms for each faculty area.
- The new metric for the international research network carries a weight of 5%.
- The new coefficient for sustainability also represents 5% of the ranking, reflecting the importance of environmental aspects in university activities.
- The proportions of international faculty (5%) and international students (5%) remained unchanged.
Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President of QS, noted that the changes in the methodology of QS World University Rankings 2024 are an important step in the evolution of the ranking. The evaluation results now better align with the priorities of Generation Z and Generation Alpha. This new ranking will allow universities to critically assess their activities and improve them in areas that are crucial for future generations.
Quacquarelli Symonds evaluated 2,963 universities worldwide, analyzed 17.5 million research papers, and conducted over 240,000 surveys among faculty and employers. As a result, a ranking of the top 1,503 educational institutions from 104 cities was compiled.
Traditionally, universities from the United States and the United Kingdom occupy the top positions in the QS ranking.
21 Kazakhstani universities made it into the list of the top 1,500 educational institutions. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University is the leader among Kazakhstani universities, followed by L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and K. I. Satpayev Kazakh National Research Technical University.
Inclusion in this ranking is a sign of recognition for a university in the global scientific and educational community. The ranking results determine the stability of universities and the employment opportunities for graduates. We take pride in the achievements of Kazakhstani universities and wish them continued success in their development!
