The Times Higher Education World University Ranking is published by Times Higher Education (THE) and is based on the overarching objectives of a university: education, research, knowledge transfer and international orientation. These objectives are further specified by thirteen performance measures, divided into five broad domains with different weighting factors:
- Teaching (the learning environment and reputation, 29,5%);
- Research environment (productivity, income and reputation, 30%);
- Research quality (impact and citations, 30%);
- International outlook (staff, students and research, 7.5%)
- Cooperation with industry (knowledge transfer, 4%)
With respect to the five categories, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ranks highly on research quality.
Indicator for scientific and societal impact
International rankings such as Leiden ranking, Shanghai ARWU ranking, THE World University and Impact Rankings, and QS ranking aim to rank universities based on several domains, such as scientific impact, scientific reputation, and societal impact.
Although university rankings certainly have their shortcomings, jointly they provide an overall picture of a university. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam does underline that it is important to monitor how the outside world and media reflect on the university, and to reflect on its international profile in a broader context than scientific impact alone.
Diversity and sustainability
In this context of rankings, for example, the THE Impact Ranking fits in well. This ranking exists since 2018 and is innovative because it focuses on the contribution universities make to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The striking thing about VU's result on the THE Impact ranking is that, in addition to a solid VU score on research output and excellence, it highlights the distinctive VU profile regarding the VU’s social connection and ambitions related to diversity and sustainability.