New indicators sharpen focus on quality over quantity in university globalization

Academics and industry experts have welcomed revisions to the Korea Times University Rankings for 2027, as they believe the updated indicators provide a more comprehensive assessment of university internationalization. The new rankings place a greater emphasis on faculty diversity, student success, and ongoing research collaboration compared to previous years.

Shin Jang-sup, an economics professor at the National University of Singapore, noted that the overall framework has improved from the previous year. He specifically highlighted the addition of an indicator measuring the proportion of international full-time faculty members, which helps the rankings evaluate universities from the perspective of international students.

Seo Myeong-seok, the managing director of the Korea Advancing Schools Foundation, also praised the revisions, pointing to the introduction of the international full-time faculty ratio as a significant improvement.