THE STRONG showing of the Irish university sector in the prestigious Times Higher Education/QS World University Rankingis an impressive achievement which should be widely applauded. Yes, the rankings – like most education league tables – can be flawed and open to manipulation but they still represent an internationally-recognised benchmark. Trinity and UCD are now safely ensconced within the elite group of the world's top 100 colleges. NUI Galway and UCC have also shown spectacular growth. There is evidence here of a sector which is continuing to perform and innovate.
The performance is all the more remarkable given the financial pressures bearing down on higher education. While funding for research and innovation increased dramatically in recent years, the McCarthy report appears sceptical of its value and the Department of Finance has already cut some funding. The universities are also wrestling with the new Employment Control Framework, where recruitment is restricted and controlled by Government.
While welcoming the strong showing by his own university, UCC president Dr Michael Murphy was wise to sound a note of caution. In the face of continued cuts, the danger, he said, is that the Irish university sector will be “forced into a non-competitive position, thereby affecting our ability to compete internationally at the highest level and drive forward the Government’s own agenda for a knowledge-based economy.”
There is a clear danger that the current ranking could represent a high-water mark for higher education in Ireland instead of acting as a catalyst for further growth and development. The cost-cutting programme across the sector could have a significant impact on the relevant metrics by increasing the staff /student ratio and undermining research activity.
The critical importance of these rankings should not be doubted. The perceived quality of the higher education system is a key factor in helping to attract inward investment. The rankings can also help Ireland to attract more international students, a lucrative business opportunity which this State has been slow to exploit.
Hopefully the latest rankings will make policy makers pause for breath, replacing the current “slash and burn” approach towards higher education with the wider view. The forthcoming report from the National Strategy Group on Higher Education might also help; it must remind Government that the sector needs careful, constructive management.