Korea chases global top 100, but leading universities take different paths
SINGAPORE, LONDON, SEOUL — Breaking into the world’s top 100 has become a common ambition among Korean universities. However, the world’s leading university ranking agencies have a surprising response for institutions chasing higher positions: Stop chasing the rankings. "The dog should wag the tail, the tail should not wag the dog," said Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher…
Seoul, Singapore, and London — Korean universities are striving to join the global elite, ranking within the top 100. Yet, renowned ranking agencies caution against fixating on these metrics. Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher Education, advised universities to let their unique strengths lead, rather than allowing rankings to dictate their path forward.
Rankings should provide guidance, but not dictate strategy, he emphasized. Ben Sowter, senior vice president at QS, echoed this sentiment, warning that universities risk diluting their competitive advantage by pursuing identical objectives. He stressed the need for a nuanced approach, where each institution develops a distinctive strategy that sets it apart on the international stage. As ranking systems adapt, universities must find their own way to stand out.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
