Korea chases global top 100, but world's 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…
Singapore, London, Seoul — The pursuit of a spot in the world’s top 100 universities has become a goal for many Korean institutions. Yet, prestigious ranking agencies have a cautionary message for these universities: rankings should not dictate their priorities. According to Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher Education (THE), universities should not allow rankings to drive their strategies.
"The dog should wag the tail, the tail should not wag the dog," Baty advised, urging universities to maintain control over their direction. QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter echoed this sentiment, warning that if all universities adopt similar strategies, they risk losing their competitive edge. "The important thing is that you build a really nuanced strategy where you don’t have a whole group of universities trying to do exactly the same thing as each other," Sowter cautioned.
"In that context you end up competing with yourselves rather than necessarily distinguishing yourselves internationally."
As the importance of global rankings evolves, universities are reevaluating their priorities and strategies.
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.
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