IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v5y2021i07p765-772.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Demystifying the University of Nairobi’s Academic Quality through Third Party Ranking Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Li Hongbo

    (Jiangsu University, Kenya)

  • Joseph Muiruri Thige

    (Jiangsu University, Kenya)

  • Ssali Max William

    (Jiangsu University, Kenya)

Abstract

University of Nairobi is in a race to become internationally and academically viable to an increasingly interconnected world. Its rankings have gradually become an issue of concern in its management of academic stratification in a globally competitive community. Several mechanisms with different methodologies by these ranking systems have been developed to rank the university. Ranking of University of Nairobi (UON) has been done qualitatively and quantitatively. While most of the ranking systems are qualitative, there are those that are quantitative and this study makes a comparison of a qualitative and quantitative assessment of UON through two ranking systems while drawing a correlation with other ranking systems to establish the trajectory of such ranking system and identifying academic bias in their assessment. To achieve this, the study uses a qualitative review to highlight a number of inconsistencies in the methodologies applied to rank UON. Five main ranking tools commonly applied to the world’s universities are reviewed, namely Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Webometrics ranking (WRWU), Times Higher Education (THE), U.S News.com and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The study established that bias exists in the rankings thus causing inconsistencies in UON’s placement in different rankings. Suggestions for academic transparency through timely publications and quick access to departmental and institutional data for better ranking exercises are proposed.

Suggested Citation

  • Li Hongbo & Joseph Muiruri Thige & Ssali Max William, 2021. "Demystifying the University of Nairobi’s Academic Quality through Third Party Ranking Assessment," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(07), pages 765-772, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:5:y:2021:i:07:p:765-772
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-5-issue-7/765-772.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/virtual-library/papers/demystifying-the-university-of-nairobis-academic-quality-through-third-party-ranking-assessment/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nafukho, Fredrick Muyia & Wekullo, Caroline S. & Muyia, Machuma Helen, 2019. "Examining research productivity of faculty in selected leading public universities in Kenya," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 44-51.
    2. Jill Johnes, 2018. "University rankings: What do they really show?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(1), pages 585-606, April.
    3. Julien Jacqmin, 2021. "Do ads influence rankings? Evidence from the higher education sector," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(5), pages 509-526, September.
    4. Nicolás Figueroa & Jeanne Lafortune & Alejandro Sáenz, 2018. "Do you like me enough? The impact of restricting preferences ranking in a university matching process," Documentos de Trabajo 518, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    5. Manuel Muñoz-Suárez & Natividad Guadalajara & José M. Osca, 2020. "A Comparative Analysis between Global University Rankings and Environmental Sustainability of Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Josef C. Brada & Wojciech Bienkowski & Masaaki Kuboniwa (ed.), 2015. "International Perspectives on Financing Higher Education," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-54914-3, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li Hongbo & Joseph Muiruri Thige & Ssali Max William, 2021. "Demystifying the University of Nairobi’s Academic Quality through Third Party Ranking Assessment," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(7), pages 765-772, July.
    2. Yating Wen & Xiaodong Zhao & Xingguo Li & Yuqi Zang, 2023. "Explaining the Paradox of World University Rankings in China: Higher Education Sustainability Analysis with Sentiment Analysis and LDA Topic Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Christoph Burmann & Fernando García & Francisco Guijarro & Javier Oliver, 2021. "Ranking the Performance of Universities: The Role of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Kuckertz, Andreas & Scheu, Maximilian, 2024. "From chalkboard to boardroom: Unveiling the role of entrepreneurship in bolstering academic achievement among professors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Alba Arias & Iñigo Leon & Xabat Oregi & Cristina Marieta, 2021. "Environmental Assessment of University Campuses: The Case of the University of Navarra in Pamplona (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, August.
    6. Adam Kapor & Mohit Karnani & Christopher Neilson, 2024. "Aftermarket Frictions and the Cost of Off-Platform Options in Centralized Assignment Mechanisms," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(7), pages 2346-2395.
    7. Rashad A. R. Bantan & Ramadan A. Zeineldin & Farrukh Jamal & Christophe Chesneau, 2020. "Determination of the Factors Affecting King Abdul Aziz University Published Articles in ISI by Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-10, May.
    8. Walter Leal Filho & Alfonso Coronado-Marín & Amanda Lange Salvia & Fernanda Frankenberger Silva & Franziska Wolf & Todd LeVasseur & Maria J. Kirrane & Federica Doni & Arminda Paço & Malgorzata Blichar, 2022. "International Trends and Practices on Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    9. Neszveda, Gábor & Horváth, Zsófia, 2024. "Új szempont a magyar felsőoktatási intézmények teljesítményének mérésében - az egyetemek online láthatósága [Online visibility - A new aspect of measuring the performance of Hungarian higher educat," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 755-790.
    10. McAleer, M.J. & Nakamura, T. & Watkins, C., 2018. "Size, Internationalization and University Rankings: Evaluating Times Higher Education (THE) Data for Japan," Econometric Institute Research Papers EI2018-43, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Econometric Institute.
    11. Enis Siniksaran & M. Hakan Satman, 2020. "WURS: a simulation software for university rankings—software review," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(1), pages 701-717, January.
    12. Luis Alberto Mejía-Manzano & Patricia Vázquez-Villegas & Anthony Smith & Alfredo Soeiro & Anikó Kálmán & Tamer Atabarut & Nicolás Otaduy-Rivera & Jorge Membrillo-Hernández & Patricia Caratozzolo, 2023. "An Exploratory Study Examining the Key Aspects and Actions for Universities to Achieve High Sustainability Rankings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, February.
    13. Renata Kudaibergenova & Sandugash Uzakbay & Asselya Makanova & Kymbat Ramadinkyzy & Erlan Kistaubayev & Ruslan Dussekeev & Kadyrzhan Smagulov, 2022. "Managing publication change at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University: a case study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(1), pages 453-479, January.
    14. Hui Li, 2025. "Global or regional: the hidden truth behind ShanghaiRanking’s global university ranking by the subject of Law," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(1), pages 515-530, January.
    15. Mónica Benito & Pilar Gil & Rosario Romera, 2019. "Funding, is it key for standing out in the university rankings?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(2), pages 771-792, November.
    16. Zsuzsanna Banász & Zsolt T. Kosztyán & Vivien V. Csányi & András Telcs, 2023. "University leagues alongside rankings," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 721-736, February.
    17. PORANCEA-RĂULEA Andreea Simina, 2022. "The Importance Of Sustainability For University Competitiveness," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 17(1), pages 187-201, April.
    18. Wilmina Uchi Tunje & Dr. Kenneth Muschelwicz, 2020. "Funding Challenges and Their Effect on Growth of Public Universities in Kenya: A Case of Pwani University," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 4(7), pages 520-526, July.
    19. Zaira García-Tórtola & David Conesa & Joan Crespo & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2024. "Unlocking University Efficiency: A Bayesian Stochastic Frontier Analysis," Working Papers 2024/05, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    20. Juan Antonio Dip, 2021. "What does U-multirank tell us about knowledge transfer and research?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 3011-3039, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:5:y:2021:i:07:p:765-772. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.