Global Rankings and their Impact on Internationalization

Global university rankings play a crucial role in shaping internationalisation strategies within higher education. These rankings assess institutions based on metrics such as research output, academic staff quality, global collaborations, policy decisions, funding allocations, and student recruitment. Rankings drive international engagement by encouraging institutions to expand partnerships and increase student mobility, they also present challenges. This chapter highlights disparities in resources between well-funded and underfunded institutions, along with a focus on research at the expense of teaching quality. It addresses ethical issues surrounding data manipulation and strategies driven by rankings, which tend to favour institutions from developed countries creating a competitive imbalance, particularly for the Global South. The chapter highlights how universities are increasingly implementing strategic policies aligned with ranking criteria, influencing both their approach to internationalisation and the future trajectory of higher education in a globally competitive provision.