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Explaining the Paradox of World University Rankings in China: Higher Education Sustainability Analysis with Sentiment Analysis and LDA Topic Modeling

Author

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  • Yating Wen

    (School of Public Administration, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China)

  • Xiaodong Zhao

    (School of Public Administration, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China)

  • Xingguo Li

    (Higher Education Development Research Center, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China)

  • Yuqi Zang

    (School of Public Administration, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China)

Abstract

The development of the World University Rankings (WURs) has produced the following paradox. On the one hand, the WURs are often criticized for their ranking methodology and logic. On the other hand, the WURs are growing in influence worldwide. Universities are caught in a vicious cycle of pursuing indicators, which has a negative impact on the sustainability of higher education. In order to explain the development paradox of WURs, this research uses sentiment analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to understand how the WURs thrive amid controversy by analyzing the emotion and cognition in 18,466 Chinese public comments on the WURs. The research found that (1) although the Chinese public has mixed feelings about the WURs, the overall sentiment is positive; (2) the Chinese public perceives the WURs through four main perspectives: standpoint cognition, dialectical cognition, interest cognition, and cultural cognition; and (3) the public is more concerned about whether their standpoints are met, whether their interests are reflected, and whether their individual experiences are verified but rarely think about the problems of ranking from a dialectical perspective. The need for ranking has always existed but the issue of ranking has often been ignored, leading to the development paradox of rankings.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:6:p:5003-:d:1094406
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    1. Zahyah H. Alharbi, 2023. "A Sustainable Price Prediction Model for Airbnb Listings Using Machine Learning and Sentiment Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-19, September.

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