THE INTERNATIONAL reputation of higher education in Ireland has received a boost from a new global ranking system.
The Irish third-level system is ranked 16th among 48 countries, ahead of Germany, Israel and Japan. The rankings were compiled by Universitas 21 (U21) an international network of leading research-intensive universities in 15 countries.
These rankings measure 20 factors across four categories: resources, environment, connectivity and output. Critically, they were compiled in 2009 before a series of staff and other cuts in Irish colleges were implemented.
Dr Hugh Brady, president of University College Dublin, was appointed chair of U21 at a meeting in Sweden yesterday.
The US tops the new list, with the Scandinavian countries dominating the top 10. The UK is ranked 10.
Dr Brady said the results support other evidence from the Economic and Financial Affairs Council which highlights the Irish education system as one of the most efficient and effective in terms of the graduates produced.
In recent years the rankings of Irish universities have slumped in the two most prestigious rankings, compiled by Times Higher and QS.
For the first time, Ireland has no university in elite top 100 world universities in these rankings. In the Universitas ranking Ireland is ranked as 12th for resources; 22nd for environment and participation rates; 11th for connectivity between education, society and research and 17th for output.
