The Impact of World University Rankings on BRICS Students' Choices of Universities (The Case of the Ural Federal University)

Responding to globalization, Russian universities become increasingly entangled in local, national, and international relations. World rankings, such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities, QS World University Rankings, and THE World University Rankings, lay emphasis on the status and prestige of universities as well as on the quality of education and research they provide. One of the key criteria in their assessment is the percentage of international students, which encourages universities to seek ways to attract more foreign students if they want to move up the rankings. The article discusses the case of the Ural Federal University (Yekaterinburg, Russia): in 2017-18, the authors surveyed undergraduate Chinese students (n = 20) and Russian experts specializing in the university's promotion on the global education market (n = 4). The survey results have shown that international students do not consider a university's position in rankings to be an important factor in the choice of an education trajectory and that they are much more oriented towards word of mouth recommendations from their friends and relatives as well as the perceived quality of education. Education is generally seen as a ladder for upward social mobility and is expected to improve the students' career prospects in their home country. Experts believe, however, that, in the years to come, rankings will be playing an increasingly important role in students' choices. They also pointed out that universities resort to both formal and informal practices to rise up in the rankings. Progress in rankings may become an end in itself but can also serve as a part of a more general marketing strategy to attract investment and improve the university's standing on the educational market.

Keywords

Authors

References