University Rankings, Challenges and Opportunities

Room 205, Frem Civic Center, Byblos campus

The School of Engineering is hosting a lecture as part of its SOE Research Seminar Series, titled: “University Rankings: Challenges and Opportunities” by Professor of Electrical Engineering Samer Saab.

The impact of university rankings on applicants, students, faculty, universities, parents, recruiters, governments and even funding agencies is inevitable.  Despite the endless debates by supporters and opponents on effectiveness and appropriateness of rankings, ranking tables imposed their position in the higher education territory. During this phase where universities in the region are being validated by the results of ranking tables, LAU may no longer afford to play a quasi-active role in the ranking arena for its long term sustainability. This presentation highlights the common and dominant metrics employed by ranking agencies and concludes that playing the ranking game seamlessly is not sufficient but a substantial investment in academics.