Two Thai universities almost crack global ranking

[webfact]

Two Thai universities almost crack global ranking
The Nation

ALTHOUGH no Thai universities appear in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings top 100 this year, at least two are ranked just outside the top 200.

The two institutes are Chulalongkorn and Mahidol universities.

"All other Thai universities, including Thammasat University, are ranked outside the top 400," Phil Baty said in his capacity as editor of the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings.

He revealed this information exclusively to The Nation as the World Reputation Rankings, which are released today, do not officially list institutions below 100.

The rankings are a spin-off from the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which involve 13 objective indicators to deliver a multi-faceted and balanced picture of university performance. The reputation survey data used to create the World Reputation Rankings are based on two indicators applied to the overall World University Rankings.

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-2014, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT) is the only Thai institute in the top 350 grouping.

More information on the rankings can be found at www.thewur.com.

According to Baty, of 10 Asean nations, only Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have had an entry in the unofficial top 400 of the Reputation Rankings.

For Singapore, the two main universities, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, both make the top 100 at 21 and 91 respectively.

Japan stands tall

Asia's strongest performer by a distance is Japan, with five top 100 representatives.

Across the world, the US confirms supremacy as it takes eight of the top 10 positions and 46 of the top 100 - with Harvard University, MIT and Stanford University claiming the top three spots.

In a related development, Chulalongkorn University (CU) has achieved a quite impressive presence in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2014.

In the Engineering-Chemical category, it appears in the 51-100 band. In Engineering-Mechanical; Aeronautical & Manufacturing; Engineering- Civil and Structural Engineering; Medicine-Biological Sciences; Medicine-Pharmacy and Pharmacology; and Chemistry-Environmental Sciences, the CU is in the 101-150 band.

In Modern Languages-Communication and Media Studies; and Engineering-Electrical, CU is in the 151-200 band. KMUTT and Mahidol, Kasetsart, Chiang Mai and Prince of Songkla universities appear in the top-200 list too, but in just one or two subjects each.


-- The Nation 2014-03-06

[watcharacters]

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Oxford and Cambridge came in fourth and fifth. That's pretty good.

[mrtoad]

I think this a really great achievement, and congratulations to Chula and Mahidol. I've been to Mahidol on a number of occasions, and it really is a very international flavour university. The Salaya campus is quite impressive, and it appears to me, to be a well run and flourishing university, that embraces learning and co-operation outside of Thailand.

[JesseFrank]

ALTHOUGH no Thai universities appear in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings top 100 this year, at least two are ranked just outside the top 200

Or how to make a lousy ranking look good . I'm sure the Thais rank at the top of the list in that category.

[ETatBKK]

'The rankings are a spin-off from the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which involve 13 objective indicators to deliver a multi-faceted and balanced picture of university performance. The reputation survey data used to create the World Reputation Rankings are based on two indicators applied to the overall World University Rankings.'

my wife is in academic field, and every time she laughs about these 'university rankings'. it is just a fancy way of presenting subjective idea in an objective way; and with specific interest behind.

these couple of Thai universities, not so long ago they were ranked pretty good, one way or another . . .

[Brevity]

I wonder if it is the blatant cheating that goes on in Thai universities that holds them back from getting better global ratings, or is it more likely to be the rote learning approach that Thai educators seem to cling to that does it? After all, When students graduate with master's degrees and higher yet have no critical thinking or basic analytic skills, that's got to hurt their reputations. Did the Phuket lawyer with the US$10,000 bills graduate from one of those two universities?

[metice]

No news here; just putting a positive spin on the findings. What the author should also consider is the rise/fall in ranking. The highest ranking Thai unis are always just outside the top 200

[eddie61]

How much did they pay

[Lupatria]

If one sh&*% right next to the loo, it's still called a mess.

[ezzra]

If there were ever, any doubts as to what a Thai university diploma worth, than those finding

definitely remove them.....

[lostmebike]

According to an earlier poll, Chula wasn't even second or third best in Thailand but something like fifth or sixth!

[RtotheC]

You mean to tell me that the school (Chula) whose students didn't even know who Hitler is supposed to be near the top 200 hundred schools in the world? I could name hundreds of better schools in America alone.

[unanimosity]

I think this a really great achievement, and congratulations to Chula and Mahidol. I've been to Mahidol on a number of occasions, and it really is a very international flavour university. The Salaya campus is quite impressive, and it appears to me, to be a well run and flourishing university, that embraces learning and co-operation outside of Thailand.

Congrats for not making the top 100 list or even the unofficial top 200? That's a dubious distinction. It may say more about you than the schools--that you want to give passing marks to non-passing schools--but then, when in Rome, yada yada.

[tubby johnson]

Not even third or fourth division, but non-league. What creative excuses will the government come up with this time? Or will everyone look the other way?

If you consider how much Thailand spends on education (a lot), then something must be keeping Thailand's schools and universities in the doldrums.

Namely:

1. endemic corruption in the education sector

2. rote learning and deference to the teacher's intelligence and authority.

3. complacency

4. plagiarism

5. a culture of cheating and "creative short cuts"

But then I teach at one of the above-mentioned universities and should point the finger of blame at myself too.

[socksy01]

I think there's an error in the Post in that they've missed out at least one '0' (zero) on the results.

[atyclb]

Heres the latest Thai educational technology and as usual, not developed in Thailand.

https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/amigi/cheating-on-exams-with-smartwatches/

[Saradoc1972]

... almost crack global ranking

I read this article becuase I couldn't make sense of the headline.

So they find it now worth a note their unis make it "just outside" the still inofficial 200 of inofficial 400?... If this had been just shy of the first 100...

[sms747]

I think this a really great achievement, and congratulations to Chula and Mahidol. I've been to Mahidol on a number of occasions, and it really is a very international flavour university. The Salaya campus is quite impressive, and it appears to me, to be a well run and flourishing university, that embraces learning and co-operation outside of Thailand.

How on earth can being ranked outside of the top 200 be an 'achievement' ? We had a report the other week saying that King Mongkut University in Thonburi was ranked higher than either Chula or Mahidol, yet no mention of it here. Cheating, plagiarism and corruption are rife in Thai Universities, they would come near the top in those rankings! What important research is any University in Thailand doing, or has ever done? Mahidol has a good dental faculty, that's about it.

[Scott]

Chula and Mahidol are both good schools. I am happy to see that they are advancing.

Hopefully, this upward movement will motivate the schools to continue to strive toward excellence.

[sms747]

I must have missed this:

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-2014, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT) is the only Thai institute in the top 350 grouping.

​So if King Mongkut is the only Thai institiute in the top 350 how can Chula and Mahidol be just outside the top 200, just where did they come?

[lostinisaan]

Where'd Rajabhat Sisaket be?-

[sms747]

Nobody knows just as nobody knows where Chula and Mahidol came, somewhere over the rainbow I guess.

[Stradavarius37]

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I think this a really great achievement, and congratulations to Chula and Mahidol. I've been to Mahidol on a number of occasions, and it really is a very international flavour university. The Salaya campus is quite impressive, and it appears to me, to be a well run and flourishing university, that embraces learning and co-operation outside of Thailand.

How on earth can being ranked outside of the top 200 be an 'achievement' ? We had a report the other week saying that King Mongkut University in Thonburi was ranked higher than either Chula or Mahidol, yet no mention of it here. Cheating, plagiarism and corruption are rife in Thai Universities, they would come near the top in those rankings! What important research is any University in Thailand doing, or has ever done? Mahidol has a good dental faculty, that's about it.

Spoken like someone who has no idea what they are talking about...lol

[sms747]

what struggle would that be then?

[Fookhaht]

I must have missed this:

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-2014, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT) is the only Thai institute in the top 350 grouping.

​So if King Mongkut is the only Thai institiute in the top 350 how can Chula and Mahidol be just outside the top 200, just where did they come?

There are quite a few ranking organizations for universities.

Our university, which usually ranks beyond 500 among worldwide schools got a 4th place ranking on one poll. If course, that's the ranking we heavily advertise on our website and in our PR literature.

In order to get the ranking you want, be selective in your ranking organizations!

The resulting effect on myself is that I keep plenty of salt grains handy.

[Fookhaht]

Where'd Rajabhat Sisaket be?-

Somewhere near Ashiwa Mahasarakham.

[Stradavarius37]

Ive taught at Mahidol for 11 years. It is a quality school - comparable to many state schools in the US, and there are a lot of quality teachers and students, and the campus and facilities are quite excellent. Some of the individual faculties are average, some are excellent, some are world class.

That being said, it is not the standard level of the typical Thai university. In fact, my faculty (Music) get at least 1-2 admin groups per week from other universities coming to speak with my boss, asking how they can learn to develop their programs to a similar level. My boss' answer is always the same - you must have quality. (in everything you do).

My boss is one of the rare visionaries in the education world in SE Asia, but hopefully his work has benefits throughout our sector and beyond. Brick by brick my citizens....

[brucetefl]

Mahidol Department of Music, being BY FAR the best and most famous music school in Thailand, also gets the best musicians. Its a very good cycle and I am sure that will continue.

[sms747]

Music yes, but that's not really what Universities are renowned the world over for is it? There is not a nobel prize for music and important though it is, academically it's a bit of a cul de sac, a fringe subject. Only in Thailand could relative failure be hailed as some sort of success, embarrassing really.

[Stradavarius37]

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Mahidol Department of Music, being BY FAR the best and most famous music school in Thailand, also gets the best musicians. Its a very good cycle and I am sure that will continue.

And yet didn't exist 15 years ago - im sure it just became so through the patronage of the hi-sos, and not through vision, philosophy, innovation, and industriousness. And thankfully our students don't play on yamaha keyboards either