Why are some of the oldest universities in the world ranked so poorly?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the ranking of some of the oldest universities in the world, particularly focusing on the University of Vienna and its position in global rankings. Participants explore the implications of age on perceived quality, the influence of language, and the variability of ranking systems.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question why the University of Vienna, despite being the oldest institution in the German-speaking world, ranks around 87th globally, suggesting that language might play a role.
  • Others argue that being old does not inherently correlate with quality, emphasizing that rankings can be skewed towards English-speaking universities.
  • There is a mention of the variability in ranking systems, with one participant noting that Oxford's physics ranking differs significantly between the UK's official research ranking and The Times ranking aimed at students.
  • One participant points out that historically, there were no world-class physics universities in the US before 1920, indicating a shift in academic quality over time.
  • Concerns are raised about the validity of certain university rankings, with one participant expressing skepticism about the comparisons made between institutions like Johns Hopkins and MIT.
  • Another participant questions the quality of Russian and German universities, suggesting that German universities face challenges due to a lack of funding.
  • There is a caution against placing too much trust in website rankings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the relationship between age and quality in university rankings, the influence of language, and the reliability of different ranking systems. The discussion remains unresolved with no consensus on these issues.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the dependence on specific ranking systems and the subjective nature of comparing institutions with different focuses and strengths.

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For example the University of Vienna (Austria) is ranked around 87th in the world yet it's the oldest institution in the german speaking world (1365), why is this? Is language a reason?
 
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agrocadabra said:
For example the University of Vienna (Austria) is ranked around 87th in the world yet it's the oldest institution in the german speaking world (1365), why is this? Is language a reason?

Being old doesn't necessarily mean good.
 
Yeah but it seems that the rankings are very skewed towards universities whose first language is english.
 
agrocadabra said:
Yeah but it seems that the rankings are very skewed towards universities whose first language is english.

Depends on which ranking system you use. For example Oxford isn't ranked very highly in physics in the official ranking system for research used here in the UK (RAE) but still does well in The Times ranking aimed at students.

Also, there is no reason to expect old to mean good. There was not a single world-class university in physics in the US before about 1920 or so (which is why Oppenheimer&co went to Germany etc for their PhDs), but now that has of course changed.
 
That list makes no sense whatsoever, at least not when it comes to the universities I am familiar with.

Moreover, who do you compare Johns Hopkins with MIT?
As far as I know there is almost no overlap, so it is really an apples and pears issue
 
Are not Russian Universities good though for example? What about german universities?
 
German universities suffer from a lack of funding.
 
Do not believe too much on website rankings...
 

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