Global University Rankings and the Politics of Knowledge

“Global University Rankings and the Politics of Knowledge is a well-organized and well-written book that adds academic perspectives to the discussion of the purpose and impact of global university rankings. It is refreshing to have perspectives based upon actual research and the book provides a one stop shop for the current academic literature on university rankings. This book is a significant contribution to the discussion of national and global rankings.” D.G. Marshall, Mount Royal and Nipissing Universities, The British Columbia Review

“This timely collection reflects a wide range of geographical and critical perspectives on knowledge creation and what being a "world-class" university entails. Its key findings are relevant for anyone looking to participate in higher education and we recommend this book for its accessible discussions on how knowledge is produced, consumed, marketed, and ranked.” Jeanna Pillainayagam and Karin Kermani, University of British Columbia, Canadian Journal of Higher Education

“This book presents a comprehensive literature review on rankings in the context of production and dissemination of knowledge. It presents a wide range of discourses to establish the fact that education is a big business today. And it opens up various conversations around the hooks and crooks of ranking.” Bidyarthi Dutta, Vidyasagar University, Journal of Scientometric Research

"In this well-crafted volume, Michelle Stack has assembled a team of writers who provide a nuanced analysis of the politics of university rankings which have a bearing on funding, jobs, the survival of programs, and the marketability of universities. It also addresses important work such as university–community engagement. In its comprehensiveness, this book is an eye-opener. "

Peter Mayo, Professor of Arts, Open Communities, and Adult Education, University of Malta, and author of Higher Education in a Globalising World: Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning

"This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of rankings by moving the conversation goalposts beyond the methodological issues that have dominated the literature and commentary heretofore. Instead, and from an international perspective, the authors offer the reader a much deeper analysis about how knowledge is produced, measured, and used – and the implications this has for higher education, the academic community, and research. The interplay between these different elements underpins the geopolitics of knowledge production and political power."

Ellen Hazelkorn, Joint Editor, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, and Professor Emerita, Technological University Dublin

"Insightfully critical and nuanced, this important collection explores the far-reaching implications and impact of the global university rankings industry. Contributors note that rankings are not simply the ‘new normal’ of higher education; they are dramatically transforming the enterprise that they purport to measure."

Glen A. Jones, Professor of Higher Education and Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto