September 18, 2006 Source: :
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060918-2572.asp Shanghai Jiao Tong University rates global universities Administrators restate objections to single-measure rankings
Sep 18/06
by Ailsa Ferguson (about) (email) The University of Toronto has been ranked No. 24 in the annual Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Rankings of World Universities. Among other Canadian universities in the top 100, the University of British Columbia is ranked No. 36, McGill University is tied for No. 62 and McMaster University is No. 90. The 2006 rankings, released in August by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Higher Education, place particular emphasis on universities’ research capacity. (For the complete list and methodology see http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2006/ARWU2006_Top100.htm). Shanghai Jiao Tong University established the rankings to assess the performance of Chinese universities relative to their global peers. In recent years, it has become a widely followed measure worldwide. "The SJT system avoids the reliance of other rankings on subjective surveys with low and selective response rates but has its own limitations," said Professor Vivek Goel, vice-president and provost of the University of Toronto, who recently chaired a task force on quality and productivity in Ontario universities. "I don’t know how any of these one-number rankings really help students make choices about programs and departments." President David Naylor added, "What ultimately matters are the two pillars of our academic mission: to remain one of the leading research universities anywhere in the world and to ensure that our research leadership translates into outstanding personal experiences for students at every level."
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