IISc, IIT Delhi Gain Ground in Global University Employability Rankings
Only 3 universities count in top 150, which indicates India’s struggling to make a reputational mark with employers: THE’s Baker
A few of India’s top higher education institutions improved their standing for graduate employability this year, but the country has not been able to keep up with the advances made by others in the region. The eighth Times Higher Education (THE) annual Global University Employability Rankings for 2018, released in tandem with a time series analysis, shows that the Indian Institute of Science has improved its global ranking by one position to 28th, while the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi galloped to 53rd position from 145th last year. However, most Indian universities are ceding ground to regional competitors. India has seen some improvement in its representation and institutional positions in the table, going by the time series analysis reflecting graduate employability shifts by country since 2011 when the list was first launched, but not in line with other countries in the region and globally. “India’s performance in the employability ranking has been somewhat inconsistent since the list was first launched in 2011,” said Simon Baker, data editor at THE. “It still only counts three universities in the top 150, suggesting it’s struggling to make the reputational ground with employers that some other Asian nations have achieved.” South Korea has shown the most improvement in Asia for graduate employability since 2011. Hong Kong and Taiwan have also seen good improvement over time. However, mainland China’s rise has been comparatively slow, the data shows. US universities still dominate, but data reveals a sharp drop since 2011. France and the UK also have lost ground, but Germany has shown improvement. The 2018 survey reveals most countries value soft skills, such as collaboration and communication. Harder, practical skills are valued most in China. Firms also see interdisciplinary or problem-based learning as the key area for universities to strengthen: 71% respondents rated it as a very important measure to improve on. As per Baker, there has been a substantial global shift in graduate employability this decade, with a dramatically improved performance within east Asia and parts of Europe. By-and-large, he said, the highest risers are those imparting softer skills increasingly favoured among recruiters, like teamwork, combined with the strongest possible industry experience. The 2018 global listing is topped by Harvard University, which climbed one spot to switch with the California Institute of Technology.
Source: Economic Times, 15/11/2018
