In June, we launched the first Times Higher Education ranking for sub-Saharan Africa. We will now be setting up an advisory board to support our work on the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) University Rankings methodology.
The main objective of developing a ranking specifically for universities in sub-Saharan Africa was to assess the impact of universities in addressing some of the toughest challenges faced in the region in line with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ global Sustainable Development Goals.
THE developed the methodology through extensive engagement with university leaders across the region, in consultation with a consortium of African and international organisations led by Ashesi University, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.
However, we understand that any inaugural ranking we produce is more like a pilot, and we recognise that your feedback can help shape the ranking to better achieve its set objectives.
As shared during the Sub-Saharan African Universities Forum in Ghana last month, and in subsequent masterclass sessions, we welcome feedback on the first edition of the ranking. We are specifically allocating time in our 2024 rankings production plan to collect this feedback, before finalising the new methodology at the end of August 2023.
The role of the SSA University Rankings advisory board, like that of the Impact Rankings, World University Rankings and Arab University Rankings boards, is to provide a more formal mechanism for feedback, as well as to help us explore potential changes to the methodology.
The board will be made up of a group of people who will be “critical friends” and advise on the general strategy for the SSA University Rankings. We will be recruiting a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds and geographies across Africa. THE will still be responsible for the final decisions, but the board will help us get those decisions right.
We expect members to participate as individuals, not as representatives of a particular organisation, but we hope that they will be able to provide insights from differing perspectives to make the rankings stronger.
We want this ranking to be solely driven by Africans for Africans. We believe the rankings are an initiative that have the potential to bring positive change – not just within higher education but to the region at large – but this can only happen with the right advice from people who are passionate about higher education in the region.
The board will meet four times a year, and THE will support the members with information and administrative support. This will be a voluntary role.
If you are interested in being a member of the SSA University Rankings advisory board, email us at ssaranking@timeshighereducation.com, providing a brief insight into your experience and interests. Applications will close on 31 July 2023.
Binta Hussaini is a data scientist at Times Higher Education.
