The higher education sector witnessed substantial growth globally in recent decades in response to mass demand, expansion of access and the emergence of new institutional models. This gave rise to concerns for the quality of higher education outcomes, which in turn led to increased demand for accountability, transparency, evidence of quality and value for money. The result has been a continuously expanding evaluation culture (F.J van Raan, 2005), with rankings and the methodologies it employs comprising just one element of this evaluation culture alongside other elements such as quality enhancement which employs comparative analysis and benchmarking and quality assurance and its range of approaches that include accreditation, assessment and audit among others (Kis, 2005).

Rankings gained momentum at the beginning of the 21^st century with the emergence of the knowledge-based economy and the role universities play in contributing to the development and competitiveness of their countries. This seminar aims at exploring the importance attached to rankings. It focuses on four rankings - the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), referred to as the Shanghai Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE), Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and U-Multirank. While the first three ranking systems produce a combined, weighted score across different dimensions of performance, which translates into a position in a league table, U-Multirank uses a varied approach. In the seminar, we will examine the methodologies employed by these four ranking systems, particularly the new U-Multirank approach to ranking. We will also explore the uses and misuses of rankings.

Different universities have taken different approaches to reinforce or improve their position in the ranking tables or to enter the ranking tables. Some institutions have invested significant funds in human resources and infrastructure. Others have formed partnerships with existing universities combining their resources together to enhance their quality and research output. Still some institutions have used rankings strategically to enhance performance outcomes as they align with their mission. Regardless of the approach, institutions participate in rankings with the aim of communicating to their stakeholders their quality and competitiveness. We will explore how rankings have been used globally as a driver for strategic reform and improvement at both the institutional and the system level. We will examine how rankings and the dimensions of performance they employ are being used by Lebanese higher education institutions and it higher education system to enhance quality. Lebanese universities that are ranked globally and regionally will share with the audience the strategies they employ to improve their position in the ranking tables. Rankings of Lebanese universities in the various ranking systems are summarized in Table 1

Table1: Position of Lebanese Universities in International Rankings

One thing for sure is that rankings will not disappear soon, although they are evolving continuously as is the higher education landscape. This reality has influenced even the most skeptical higher education institutions of the ranking systems, the methodologies they employ and the purposes they serve to participate in the rankings. Rankings have made a revolution in defining quality in higher (Hazelkorn, 2015). They offer the possibility to conduct performance measures of universities across the globe in a somewhat reliable and valid way over a short period and cost effective manner. They have made readily accessible to stakeholders - governments, policy makers, funding agencies, donors, faculty, students and the public among others - volumes of data on the quality of higher education and generated intelligence to guide institutional and government strategies for higher education.

Hazelkorn, E. (2015). Rankings and the reshaping of higher education: The battle for world-class excellence. Springer.

Kis, V. (2005). Quality assurance in tertiary education: Current practices in OECD countries and a literature review on potential effects. Tertiary Review: A contribution to the OECD thematic review of tertiary education, 14(9), 1-47.

Van Raan, Anthony FJ. "Challenges in ranking of universities." In Invited paper for the First International Conference on World Class Universities, Shanghai Jaio Tong University, Shanghai, pp. 133-143. 2005.