QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM

2012/2013

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

Welcome
to the 2012 QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM Report

S University Rankings: Latin America was published for the rst time in 2011, and created a huge amount of interest both within the region and further aeld. This is perhaps unsurprising: Latin America is a hugely dynamic, fast-growing continent that has recently identied higher education as key to its development, yet in global rankings it has mostly been conspicuous by its absence. QS University Rankings: Latin America produced after extensive consultation with universities throughout Latin America provides a uniquely detailed comparison of the performance of the regions universities. This years rankings are extended to incorporate 250 institutions, 50 more than last year. A second years survey results has provided a richer and more inclusive data pool, extending the scope of the useful information we are able to offer. Universities have therefore been ranked individually from 1-150, then in groups of ten from 151-200, with a single group from 201250. This incremental increase in the size of the groupings reects the entirely logical gap in relative levels of data at the top and bottom of the table. It enables us to avoid a situation wherein we are making a ne-comb distinction based on overall scores that are not sufciently varied to warrant such a high level of differentiation.

The rankings are remarkable for their stability, a pleasing indication of the validity of the measures employed. The performance of smaller institutions at an earlier stage of their development, with less experience in collecting data and a less consistent and established research output, is far more likely to signicantly change in a short space of time than that of an established research-intensive institution at the top of the table.Yet even further down the table, volatility levels remain relatively low. The top 200 varies by just seven universities from that of 2011, though direct comparisons from 100-200 cannot be drawn due to the larger groupings that were employed in 2011. As in 2011, the rankings adopt the principles of the QS World University Rankings, augmented with measures of particular regional application. Academic and employer reputation surveys remain the backbone of our approach, in combination with data on research productivity and citations, student/faculty ratio, the proportion of staff with a PhD, and web presence. It is an exciting period for Latin American universities, with the growth in scientic research, massication of social demand for higher education, increased student mobility and the rise of private universities all accelerating the pace of change. This years rankings help further our understanding of the comparative performance of universities throughout the region, and shine a light on pockets of development that have previously been beyond the scope of international rankings.

Ben Sowter
Ben Sowter is the Head of Division, QS Intelligence Unit

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

2012 QS University Rankings: Latin America

Stable rankings confirm Brazilian dominance
Danny Byrne Editor of TopUniversities.com

niversity rankings have sometimes been criticized for their volatility, with some observers complaining that seismic year-onyear shifts reect methodological tinkering or unreliable measures rather than genuine change. The familiar look of the top ten in 2012 QS University Rankings: Latin America is therefore strong evidence that last years inaugural exercise provided a fair and accurate overview of the current hierarchy of the regions universities in the areas it measures. Universidade de So Paulo (USP) cements its place at the top of the table, while the entire top seven is unchanged, a near-unprecedented level of stability in a ranking of this nature.Variety is provided by a turnover of three in the top ten, with Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro, Universidad de Concepcin and Universidad de Santiago de Chile entering at the expense of Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Chile now claims four of the top ten, ahead of Brazil with three, Mexico with two and Colombia with one. Argentinas sole representative from last year, University of Buenos Aires, drops three places to 11th.

Brazilian dominance continues

The strong position of Brazil in the QS rankings established in 2011 shows little sign of diminishing. USP retains the top spot, and with 65 of the top 250, Brazil accounts for over a quarter of the universities in this ranking. Even taking its size into account, on a regional level this points to an impressive level of dominance.

The performance of Brazilian universities is partly attributable to a national effort to increase access to higher education with enrolment having tripled in the last decade and to policies aimed at enhancing the quality and quantity of its research. A study of the US National Science Foundation found that Brazil tripled its scientic research output between 1993 and 2003, and it has carried on growing since. In 2008 Brazil spent US$22 billion on research, compared to Mexico, Argentina and Chiles gures of US$5.8 billion, US$2.7 billion and US$1.2 billion respectively. UNESCO statistics place Brazil among the world's top 15 R&D performers. This investment is reected in the bibliometric research measures, sourced from Scopus, which show that Brazil is producing a far greater quantity of published research than its regional peers. Brazil has a remarkable nine of the top ten universities in Latin America for research papers per faculty member, plus the top nine universities for the proportion of academics with a PhD. These results back up the OECD gures published in September 2011, which showed that the proportion of GDP invested in education grew more in Brazil than in any other OECD nation from 2000-2008. Though Brazil still has plenty of work to do before it is on course to achieve its long-term goal of a genuinely worldclass higher education system - as Catarina Roscoes article later in this supplement discusses in further detail the conrmation of its regional dominance provided by this years rankings points to encouraging progress. However, if Brazil is the dominant nation in terms of the volume of published research it produces, when it comes to the perception of the regions academics and employers it is Mexico that comes out on top. UNAM is the number one institution for the second year running in the QS academic reputation survey, in which academics throughout Latin America identify the universities that are currently leading the way in research within their eld of expertise. And in the increasingly key area of employability, Tecnolgico

de Monterrey (ITESM) can point to an unsurpassed reputation among graduate employers. It tops the employer reputation survey, in which employers from across Latin America name the institutions that they regard as providing the best graduates. UNAM makes the top three in both surveys, but the fact that ITESM is so much more popular among employers than academics ranking number one among the former and outside the top ten among the latter is evidence of a successful focus on skills-based education. With Instituto Politcnico Nacional (IPN) and Instituto Tecnolgico Autnomo de Mxico (ITAM) also making the top 20, the healthy reputation of the nations universities among employers throughout the region will be good news to Mexican students.

Chile improves performance despite tuition fees chaos

While Brazil has unmatched strength in depth, perhaps the most eye-catching progress has been made by Chile, which now claims four of the top ten spots, more than any other nation. Just months after spiraling tuition fees prompted student riots in Santiago, Ponticia Universidad Catlica de Chile (2) and Universidad de Chile (4) are joined in this years top ten by Universidad de Concepcin (9) and Universidad de Santiago de Chile (10).

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

Whereas accessibility clearly remains a major issue, in terms of research performance Chiles universities are among the best in the continent. Three Chilean universities make the top 15 for papers per faculty, led by Universidad de Chile in 6th - the only country to break the Brazilian whitewash in this indicator. Pontica also makes the top 10 for citations per paper, with Pontica and Universidade de Chile making the top 20 for both citations per paper and papers per faculty, a feat matched by only one other university (UNIFESP). Therefore, in terms of research quantity combined with impact, they can lay a credible claim to be Latin Americas foremost research institutions. As this years events show, research performance is only one aspect of a complex situation for Chilean universities, and these rankings also point to signicant areas for improvement. There is no Chilean university in the top 50 for faculty/student ratio, and none in the top 30 for staff with a PhD. With Chilean students paying more than most for their education, this indicates that for all their research strength there is plenty of work to be done when it comes to providing a rst-class learning environment. If Chiles heavily privatized universities have been helped up the table by the manner in which they have prioritized research, this years rankings suggest Argentinas heavily state-subsidized university system has struggled to keep up with the pace of change elsewhere in the continent. Universidad de Buenos Aires has dropped out of the top ten, while all of the leading ten Argentinian universities rank lower than last year. Just two universities make the top 20, compared to ve last year, and ve of the nations universities drop out of the top 50. While Argentinas university system is admirably inclusive, the challenge it now faces is to keep pace with the development of leading universities in Brazil, Mexico and Chile. Rising student/faculty ratios and a general decrease in reputation among employers and academics account for an overall downward trend this year. The third largest economy in Latin America by GDP, Colombia is also the third bestrepresented country in this years rankings, with 34 universities in the top 250 placing it behind Brazil (65) and Mexico (46), and ahead of Chile (30) and Argentina (26).

Fourteen Colombian universities entered the rankings this year, mostly because they have been extended to include the top 250 rather than 200. Colombian universities perform particularly well in the reputationbased indicators, and a general upward trend in employer reputation is an encouraging indication both of the skill levels of Colombian graduates and the growing international prole of the nations institutions. However, Colombian universities still suffer from high student/faculty ratios and a relative lack of widely cited research.

Although the ve countries discussed above together account for 201 of the total 250 universities, the ranking also shines a light on pockets of development throughout the region.Venezuela and Peru still signicantly underperform relative to the size of their GDP, but their leading institutions Ponticia Universidad Catlica del Per (31) and Universidad Central de Venezuela (33) both improve their performance. A total of 19 countries are included, ve more than last year, with Dominican Republic, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua represented for the rst time. Even with the reassuring stability at the top of the table, this years rankings still show that Latin America is an evolving and dynamic region of great potential. Universities in the top 250 by country: Brazil (65), Mexico (46), Colombia (34), Chile (30), Argentina (26), Peru (10), Ecuador (6), Venezuela (6), Cuba (5), Uruguay (4), Costa Rica (3), Dominican Republic (3), Paraguay (3), Bolivia (2), El Salvador (2), Panama (2), Guatemala (1) Nicaragua (1), Puerto Rico (1).

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

Country/Territory Faculty Student Sta with PhD Citations per Paper Web Impact

Institution

2012 rank

2011 rank

Academic Reputation

Employer Reputation

Papers per Faculty

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 19 12 21 8 9 10 14 31 22 16 15 29 17 25 18 23 20 11 27 13 37 59= 24 34 46 52 41 32 44 35 55 33 28 30 53 38 54 72 49 62 45 48 51

Universidade de So Paulo (USP) Ponticia Universidad Catlica de Chile Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) Universidad de Chile Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico (UNAM) Universidad de Los Andes Colombia Tecnolgico de Monterrey (ITESM) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Universidad de Concepcin Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH) Universidad de Buenos Aires Universidad Nacional de Colombia Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Do Sul Universidade Federal de So Paulo (UNIFESP) Instituto Politcnico Nacional (IPN) Universidade Estadual Paulista "Jlio de Mesquita Filho" Ponticia Universidade Catlica do Rio de Janeiro Instituto Tecnolgico Autonomo de Mxico (ITAM) UCA Universidad Autnoma Metropolitana (UAM) Universidad Nacional de Crdoba Ponticia Universidad Javeriana Universidad Nacional de La Plata Universidade de Brasilia Universidad de Antioquia Universidad Austral Ponticia Universidade Catlica de So Paulo - PUCSP Universidad de Costa Rica Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA) Ponticia Universidad Catlica del Per Universidad de las Amricas Puebla (UDLAP) Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) Ponticia Universidad Catlica de Valparaso Universidad Simn Bolvar Venezuela Universidad Tcnica Federico Santa Mara Universidade Federal de So Carlos Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Universidade Federal do Pernambuco Ponticia Universidade Catlica do Rio Grande do Sul Universidad Austral de Chile Universidad de Puerto Rico Universidade Federal do Paran (UFPR) Universidad del Valle Universidade Federal Fluminense Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos Universidad del Rosario Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Universidad de San Andrs Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG)

BR CL BR CL MX CO MX BR CL CL AR CO BR BR BR MX BR BR MX AR MX AR CO AR BR CO AR BR CR MX PE MX VE CL VE CL BR BR BR BR CL PR BR CO BR PE CO BR AR MX

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.3 98.0 99.4 92.5 98.8 100.0 99.2 92.7 88.5 73.3 82.3 82.8 96.1 85.0 96.6 92.1 98.9 94.2 97.8 92.5 91.8 87.1 73.2 90.1 73.6 83.5 55.4 78.7 76.3 73.9 54.5 62.4 56.7 69.2 47.0 60.8 45.5 52.6 86.5 59.3 72.2 51.9 59.7 59.1 72.9

2 5 6 4 1 8 12 7 18 11 3 9 17 23 41 33 32 15 28 14 20 10 16 13 19 21 25 42 22 39 30 64 36 37 38 66 55 63 47 83 56 86 71 26 59 44 73 58 61 43

100.0 100.0 97.3 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.0 34.8 74.2 93.2 100.0 99.9 26.0 26.4 34.6 98.6 38.9 42.5 98.2 93.3 55.8 64.3 99.9 52.4 17.0 71.7 65.0 95.8 52.0 98.8 95.3 77.1 76.9 75.6 39.4 78.8 23.4 26.6 1.4 5.8 32.8 29.0 5.3 49.0 9.7 71.4 96.8 14.0 58.3 32.7

4 2 14 6 3 8 1 78 29 20 5 7 102 99 79 11 71 67 12 19 46 39 9 53 134 30 38 16 55 10 17 25 26 28 70 24 111 98 151+ 151+ 82 92 151+ 61 151+ 32 15 144 45 83

62.8 72.2 59.1 36.0 85.5 44.2 81.4 66.5 27.6 24.1 15.4 26.1 65.2 54.8 75.8 59.5 60.6 20.5 46.3 87.8 30.5 18.8 64.6 31.8 44.1 60.8 99.7 79.8 92.0 77.9 21.3 71.5 37.1 24.8 48.6 10.8 55.9 99.8 67.4 81.5 40.5 46.2 70.7 18.9 61.6 44.6 14.8 73.3 96.8 91.9

84 56 96 151+ 35 141 40 75 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 78 107 51 94 93 151+ 136 30 151+ 151+ 80 151+ 142 90 8 45 25 47 151+ 58 151+ 151+ 126 151+ 101 7 68 39 151+ 137 62 151+ 88 140 151+ 53 15 26

100.0 94.4 100.0 62.5 57.9 76.0 55.4 99.7 73.7 60.7 17.8 64.5 100.0 100.0 100.0 21.6 100.0 99.0 98.0 21.2 89.7 28.7 14.3 32.0 100.0 17.8 35.9 90.7 24.2 41.4 95.3 36.1 55.4 86.5 39.8 100.0 80.2 99.4 95.6 59.9 95.0 97.0 25.5 98.7 29.3 100.0 72.9 20.1

1 35 1 65 71 53 74 14 55 67 151+ 62 1 1 1 145 1 17 21 146 39 124 151+ 114 1 151+ 105 38 136 92 30 104 73 43 101 1 49 16 28 68 31 24 131 19 123 1 56 151+

100.0 94.8 100.0 99.9 44.3 73.7 34.4 99.2 92.9 57.2 53.8 73.0 99.5 100.0 100.0 59.6 99.8 98.2 27.9 3.5 51.7 35.6 17.2 47.1 85.9 31.4 21.3 7.3 11.2 16.0 11.6 41.6 26.9 62.3 89.0 87.0 99.2 62.1 85.6 88.5 79.7 46.8 88.4 48.4 62.1 9.5 35.9 1.1 19.2 9.7

2 14 1 6 65 31 84 11 15 46 51 32 9 5 3 41 7 13 97 151+ 54 82 141 61 22 90 118 151+ 151+ 147 151+ 69 99 37 17 20 10 38 23 18 28 63 19 60 39 151+ 81 151+ 127 151+

84.2 97.0 72.4 90.0 91.5 75.8 49.7 77.7 79.5 72.5 98.1 20.2 80.8 71.1 95.3 68.4 48.1 40.8 23.2 49.3 50.5 85.4 22.6 76.3 40.4 57.5 98.9 4.9 95.1 66.7 57.6 43.9 61.2 24.6 26.3 75.5 51.1 69.5 36.5 84.3 72.3 98.2 49.8 20.2 41.9 46.9 73.3 57.4 30.9

29 10 52 19 17 44 90 39 38 51 8 151+ 34 54 13 64 94 111 151+ 91 87 27 151+ 43 112 75 5 151+ 14 66 74 102 71 151+ 149 47 85 61 120 28 53 7 89 151+ 106 97 49 76 133

100.0 88.4 97.7 99.2 99.9 88.4 97.7 97.9 93.6 86.8 96.0 97.6 97.2 99.7 83.1 89.6 98.6 93.2 60.4 62.0 86.5 92.6 82.4 95.7 98.3 89.2 26.4 78.9 97.5 66.6 96.6 78.9 83.7 82.1 77.6 89.7 82.7 87.8 93.4 82.2 81.8 99.1 98.3 86.4 95.0 91.4 39.6 99.1 51.1 96.6

1 40 11 4 2 39 12 10 23 43 19 13 15 3 49 34 7 25 116 111 45 27 51 20 9 35 151+ 59 14 97 17 60 48 53 67 32 50 42 24 52 55 6 8 46 21 30 151+ 5 140 18

100.0 99.9 97.5 93.7 92.8 90.3 85.8 85.4 83.7 82.8 82.4 82.2 81.6 78.5 78.4 78.4 77.4 76.5 74.6 73.9 73.5 72.4 72.1 71.9 71.8 71.3 71.1 71.0 70.7 70.7 70.7 68.8 67.0 66.4 66.3 65.8 65.7 65.7 62.5 61.7 61.4 61.2 60.4 58.8 58.7 58.2 57.2 56.8 56.3 56.3

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

Overall

QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

Country/Territory Faculty Student Sta with PhD Citations per Paper Web Impact

Institution

2012 rank

2011 rank

Academic Reputation

Employer Reputation

Papers per Faculty

SCORE

RANK

SCORE

RANK

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RANK

SCORE

RANK

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RANK

SCORE

RANK

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RANK

SCORE

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67= 67= 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

57 26 36 47 39 50 66 70 42 40 63 67 101-200 74 43 101-200 79 56 61 71 68 77 81 87 58 59= 64 83 94 101-200 75 100 99 76 101-200 69 65 86 82 78 101-200 73 101-200 101-200 101-200 93 80 101-200 101-200 84

Universidad Autnoma de Nuevo Len (UANL) Universidad Torcuato Di Tella Universidad Nacional de Rosario Universidad de La Habana Universidad de Palermo Instituto Tecnolgico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) Universidad Tecnolgica Nacional (UTN) Benemrita Universidad Autnoma de Puebla Universidade Federal da Bahia Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata Universidad Autnoma del Estado de Mxico Universidad Adolfo Ibez Universidad de La Sabana Universidad Andrs Bello - UNAB Universidad de los Andes Mrida Universidad Nacional Costa Rica Ponticia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador Universidad Nacional de Tucumn Universidade Estadual de Londrina Universidad de Talca Universidad del Salvador Universidad del Norte Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Universidad Industrial de Santander Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Universidade Federal de Viosa Universidad Nacional de San Luis Universidade Federal de Uberlndia Universidad de la Repblica (UdelaR) Universidad Ponticia Bolivariana Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Universidad Diego Portales Universidad Catlica Andrs Bello - UCAB Universidade Federal do Cear (UFC) Universidade Federal de Lavras Universidade Federal de Pelotas Universidad Nacional del Sur Colegio de Mxico Universidade Estadual de Maring Universidad Autnoma de San Luis de Potos Universidad Panamericana (UP) Universidad de la Frontera (UFRO) Universidad Externado de Colombia Universidad EAFIT Universidad ANAHUAC Ponticia Universidade Catlica do Paran - PUCPR Universidad Nacional del Litoral Universidad Nacional Agraria la Molina Ponticia Universidade Catlica do Minas Gerais Universidad de los Andes Chile

MX AR AR CU AR AR AR MX BR AR MX CL CO CL VE CR EC AR BR CL AR CO BR CO AR BR AR BR UY CO PE CL VE BR BR BR AR MX BR MX MX CL CO CO MX BR AR PE BR CL

70.0 67.0 83.8 86.3 82.8 67.6 48.9 78.9 21.5 68.7 88.3 51.5 46.9 53.2 60.7 65.4 53.6 78.7 28.4 44.8 44.0 53.4 17.8 49.7 63.1 20.7 46.6 20.6 70.6 48.3 25.1 54.6 68.1 15.8 14.5 15.5 42.6 73.5 9.5 31.2 40.0 38.2 38.5 40.2 43.9 20.6 43.7 39.5 43.7 54.5

46 52 29 27 31 51 79 34 150 48 24 74 84 70 57 53 68 35 118 88 89 69 151+ 78 54 151+ 85 151+ 45 80 133 65 50 151+ 151+ 151+ 96 40 151+ 115 99 104 103 98 90 151+ 92 100 91 67

37.5 42.8 30.7 11.1 52.5 50.3 70.6 19.7 4.9 16.3 15.8 98.0 94.5 54.3 25.1 48.4 40.6 17.9 12.3 12.8 48.2 60.4 62.0 21.4 4.9 7.4 31.2 69.9 9.2 53.2 49.4 4.9 4.8 6.0 9.2 5.6 49.2 16.9 89.5 59.7 79.0 19.5 10.7 27.0 19.2 37.0

73 66 90 151+ 52 57 33 121 151+ 137 139 13 18 49 107 62 68 132 151+ 151+ 63 42 40 115 151+ 151+ 87 34 151+ 50 59 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 60 135 22 43 23 122 151+ 97 124 74

16.4 38.5 13.9 49.9 57.7 81.0 36.7 39.7 90.3 64.3 46.4 27.4 55.5 17.9 18.8 71.2 18.7 95.0 19.4 61.7 26.6 87.3 10.0 34.0 71.3 80.0 81.7 31.4 36.4 99.8 21.7 59.1 62.1 86.6 86.3 50.1 100.0 76.1 46.8 99.6 20.1 42.5 13.3 52.6 40.7 21.3 42.5 20.5 52.7

151+ 151+ 151+ 121 99 42 151+ 151+ 28 81 134 151+ 103 151+ 151+ 61 151+ 21 151+ 87 151+ 31 151+ 151+ 60 44 38 151+ 151+ 6 151+ 97 86 33 34 120 1 49 132 9 151+ 147 151+ 111 151+ 151+ 148 151+ 110

42.6 100.0 18.4 41.1 43.3 100.0 2.8 22.5 80.9 24.2 24.3 46.5 17.3 17.1 50.6 5.5 14.9 93.7 69.2 18.4 42.6 98.4 16.7 96.2 16.9 99.7 3.9 9.6 30.4 30.7 11.6 94.9 100.0 81.8 42.0 91.0 44.8 19.0 33.9 25.3 35.6 63.3 14.0 8.3 59.5 28.1

88 1 151+ 96 87 1 151+ 142 47 137 135 82 151+ 151+ 77 151+ 151+ 36 59 151+ 89 20 151+ 26 151+ 15 151+ 151+ 120 119 151+ 32 1 45 91 37 86 151+ 110 132 106 64 151+ 151+ 69 126

26.0 36.8 29.5 22.1 2.6 9.5 4.9 21.0 57.4 46.9 8.5 19.9 11.7 16.7 26.0 11.7 23.4 54.4 82.6 3.6 22.1 92.7 45.7 19.0 98.4 34.8 68.9 18.8 13.0 60.7 30.2 2.0 82.4 100.0 79.2 50.4 10.2 80.3 55.1 7.1 86.1 3.1 18.6 2.0 59.0 39.7 19.3 15.5 16.1

102 78 94 115 151+ 151+ 151+ 119 44 62 151+ 122 151+ 144 101 151+ 113 50 25 151+ 116 16 64 128 12 83 33 130 151+ 40 92 151+ 26 4 29 57 151+ 27 49 151+ 21 151+ 134 151+ 43 71 125 148 146

65.3 50.1 80.5 44.3

69 88 35 101

76.4 58.8 83.0 55.7 20.2 9.0 3.7 88.6 42.3 91.9 96.9 69.8 35.1 54.3 99.0 26.9 31.1 41.5 90.7 14.6 77.2 31.5 96.7 39.6 100.0 20.5 53.7 11.3 67.9 72.6 29.4 98.1 28.7 37.3 1.0 51.0 76.5 81.1 36.4 13.4

42 73 31 77 151+ 151+ 151+ 22 104 16 11 59 124 79 4 146 132 109 18 151+ 40 129 12 114 2 151+ 80 151+ 65 50 139 9 142 118 151+ 86 41 32 121 151+

88.8 10.9 66.1 69.0 47.2 9.1 89.0 76.0 96.9 50.8 84.3 26.1 48.2 55.8 91.5 76.0 33.5 62.1 70.7 72.6 44.9 55.5 89.7 62.3 72.1 92.9 77.6 94.5 11.7 51.6 48.6 59.1 48.1 82.0 71.1 58.1 64.0 72.4 90.6 60.5 33.7 78.3 34.8 76.7 38.1 65.1 72.6 51.9 73.8 21.8

38 151+ 100 92 149 151+ 36 72 16 141 47 151+ 145 126 29 71 151+ 110 89 79 151+ 127 33 108 82 26 66 22 151+ 139 144 119 146 54 87 121 104 80 31 115 151+ 63 151+ 68 151+ 102 78 138 75 151+

55.3 55.2 55.0 53.5 53.2 53.1 52.5 52.1 50.9 50.7 50.7 50.6 49.2 49.0 48.7 48.6 48.6 48.6 48.4 48.3 48.1 48.0 47.7 47.4 47.3 47.0 46.5 46.2 46.1 45.9 45.7 45.6 44.7 44.6 44.5 44.3 43.9 43.8 43.7 43.3 42.9 42.6 42.2 40.6 40.3 40.1 39.7 39.6 39.6 39.0

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

Overall

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

Country/Territory Faculty Student Sta with PhD Citations per Paper Web Impact

Institution

2012 rank

2011 rank

Academic Reputation

Employer Reputation

Papers per Faculty

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RANK

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101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128= 128= 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

92 96 85 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 97 101-200 101-200 101-200 98 90 101-200 88 95 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 91 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200

Universidad de Guanajuato Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina Universidad de Valparaso Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto Universidad de Montevideo Universidad Catlica del Norte Universidad Nacional de Asuncin Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (UCES) Fundacin Universidad De Bogot-Jorge Tadeo Lozano Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Do Norte Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie Universidad del Belgrano Universidade Federal do Esprito Santo Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Universidad Autnoma del Estado de Morelos Universidade Federal do Par - UFPA Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora Universidad de Monterrey Universidade Federal da Paraba Universidade Federal de Campina Grande Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM) Universidade Federal de Gois Universidade do Estado da Bahia Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto Universidad Autnoma de Yucatn Universidad Catlica del Uruguay - UCUDAL Ponticia Universidade Catlica do Campinas Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul Universidad de Sonora Universidad de La Salle Universidad de Colima Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro Universidad Argentina de la Empresa -UADE Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa Universidad Autnoma de Baja California Escuela Superior Politcnica del Litoral - ESPOL Universidade Federal do Tringulo Mineiro Universidade Federal de Alfenas Universidade Federal de Itajub Universidad Veracruzana Universidad de La Serena Universidad Alberto Hurtado Universidad de Lima Universidad Michoacana de San Nicols de Hidalgo Instituto Tecnolgico de Sonora (ITSON) Universidade Federal do Maranho Universidad La Salle (ULSA) Universidad de Oriente Santiago de Cuba Universidad de Antofagasta

MX BR CL BR UY CL PY AR CO BR BR AR BR BR MX BR BR BR MX BR BR MX BR BR AR MX UY BR BR MX CO MX BR AR BR MX EC BR BR BR MX CL CL PE MX MX BR MX CU CL

22.8 38.8 38.8 12.8 52.3 26.6 30.1 37.1 47.9 11.0 14.2 50.8 9.7 9.4 15.9 4.0 6.5 58.2 14.3 27.0 12.3 8.3 7.4 24.1 20.9 59.2 44.9 5.2 26.5 48.2 23.8 4.8 32.5 2.9 34.0 28.4 1.8 1.0 12.7 24.9 29.2 42.7 26.0 11.7 22.2 16.2 50.4 20.5

144 102 101 151+ 72 127 116 105 82 151+ 151+ 75 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 62 151+ 124 151+ 151+ 151+ 137 151+ 60 87 151+ 128 81 138 151+ 111 151+ 109 119 151+ 151+ 151+ 134 117 95 131 151+ 147 151+ 77 151+

7.3 2.3 25.5 17.3 18.4 31.7 47.8 67.2 71.4 34.2 1.0 2.0 6.0 24.0 3.1 93.0 4.9 5.3 7.4 2.4 16.2 26.1 3.2 60.6 1.8 69.7 4.9 5.6 40.0

151+ 151+ 104 133 128 86 65 36 31 80 151+ 151+ 151+ 109 151+ 21 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 138 101 151+ 41 151+ 35 151+ 151+ 69

14.0 8.0 12.2 18.8 76.1 2.2 7.7 1.0 65.3 6.1 18.2

144 151+ 151+ 125 27 151+ 151+ 151+ 37 151+ 130

51.6 98.0 22.7 45.4 96.0 34.7 55.1 100.0 15.3 69.6 29.6 61.1 66.9 65.7 47.8 62.4 52.0 75.9 35.8 32.3 92.7 52.3 97.3 100.0 56.0 39.2 64.6 39.6 67.1 53.1 16.6 39.7 60.8 27.1 72.5 41.3 12.6 96.1 70.5 90.7 47.1 19.6 14.3 20.0 19.2 3.5 70.5 51.4 59.5 41.5

115 11 151+ 139 18 151+ 106 2 151+ 65 151+ 89 73 77 128 85 114 50 151+ 151+ 23 113 14 4 100 151+ 79 151+ 69 109 151+ 151+ 91 151+ 55 150 151+ 17 64 27 130 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 151+ 63 116 95 149

73.9 46.4 16.1 96.6 40.3 45.6 8.1 28.3 4.5 85.8 21.1 97.9 80.8 64.2 77.2 100.0 87.8 29.5 88.5 6.5 40.1 24.8 58.8 10.2 94.8 31.0 10.1 36.5 96.1 11.0 80.0 19.2 18.9 94.8 97.9 31.5 31.1 51.2 49.8 33.2 69.4 15.8 18.5 31.8

54 83 151+ 25 97 84 151+ 125 151+ 44 147 22 48 63 51 1 41 122 40 151+ 99 134 70 151+ 33 118 151+ 103 27 151+ 50 151+ 151+ 34 23 116 117 76 78 111 58 151+ 151+ 115

51.7 19.2 37.0 65.0 5.1 65.5 2.5 1.0 7.7 52.9 17.7 2.8 56.7 42.5 57.3 32.6 99.8 50.7 5.0 49.8 59.2 1.3 49.0 5.6 28.4 39.4 4.5 18.9 42.6 18.7 1.7 34.0 56.7 3.0 40.2 17.5 6.5 43.5 63.7 85.3 7.3 38.6 18.4 1.9 38.6 15.2 27.8 7.9 8.7 34.2

53 126 77 35 151+ 34 151+ 151+ 151+ 52 137 151+ 48 68 45 88 8 56 151+ 58 42 151+ 59 151+ 95 72 151+ 129 67 133 151+ 86 47 151+ 70 139 151+ 66 36 24 151+ 75 135 151+ 74 150 98 151+ 151+ 85

37.4 7.6 80.0 49.0 46.6 87.1

117 151+ 36 92 98 24

24.3 70.0 18.4 70.3 86.3 35.3 31.5 31.2 37.2 12.3 53.1 84.2 79.7 41.0 16.4 24.9 37.7 44.6 16.3 30.8 30.7 35.7 41.6 8.1 32.8 60.7 2.2 52.9 99.9 46.6 6.8 8.3 28.9

151+ 58 151+ 56 26 123 130 131 119 151+ 81 30 37 110 151+ 151+ 116 100 151+ 135 136 122 108 151+ 128 72 151+ 82 3 99 151+ 151+ 141

71.2 68.8 37.6 63.9 21.5 44.9 46.2 14.4 41.4 78.7 39.9 34.7 69.2 78.0 47.5 79.8 24.0 64.9 36.4 75.4 71.1 39.0 86.6 57.6 43.9 71.8 27.1 54.0 70.8 89.0 20.6 78.6 62.3 23.7 59.3 76.2 92.4 15.2 13.0 39.3 76.3 20.6 30.7 27.5 75.7 40.3 56.3 11.1 12.7 36.1

85 93 151+ 105 151+ 151+ 150 151+ 151+ 61 151+ 151+ 91 64 147 56 151+ 103 151+ 74 86 151+ 44 123 151+ 83 151+ 131 88 37 151+ 62 109 151+ 118 70 28 151+ 151+ 151+ 69 151+ 151+ 151+ 73 151+ 125 151+ 151+ 151+

38.9 38.1 38.1 37.8 37.4 37.3 37.2 37.0 36.6 36.3 36.1 35.9 35.9 35.6 35.4 35.3 34.9 34.8 34.7 34.4 34.0 34.0 33.8 33.8 33.7 33.5 33.4 33.3 33.3 33.3 33.2 32.5 32.3 31.8 31.8 31.4 31.2 30.7 30.5 30.5 30.1 29.8 29.8 29.5 29.1 28.9 28.7 28.7 28.6 28.5

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Overall

RANKED IN THE WORLDS BEST CONNECT: UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG

At UOW, we are always proud of the work we are doing and we are proud that others recognise it too. In June 2012, the QS Top 50 Under 50 ranked us 30th in the world In January 2012, we were awarded the maximum Five Stars in the QS star rating of universities worldwide

We are also ranked in the top 2% of universities in the world by our performance in the QS World University Rankings; and are a member of the Group of Eight and Associates for Engineering. Come to UOW and discover for yourself the strengths of our research and teaching.

www.uow.edu.au/future/international
UOW CRICOS 00102E

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QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

Country/Territory

QS TOP 200 UNIVERSITIES

Country/Territory

Institution

151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 151-160 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 161-170 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 171-180 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 181-190 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200 191-200

101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 89 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 -

Universidad de San Martn de Porres - USMP Universidad de Tarapac Universidad del Bio-Bio Universidad del Cauca Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara - ITESO Universidad ORT Uruguay Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) Universidade do Vale do Paraba - Univap Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul Universidade Tecnolgica Federal do Paran Universidad Autnoma de Quertaro Universidad de Cartagena Universidad de Crdoba Universidad de Panam (UP) Universidad de Piura Universidad ICESI Universidad Nacional de Ingeniera Peru Universidad Nacional de San Martn (UNSAM) Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) Universidade Federal do Amazonas Universidad Autnoma de Guadalajara (UAG) Universidad Catlica de Colombia Universidad de Caldas Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala - USAC Universidad del Desarrollo Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Universidade de Ribeiro Preto Universidade Federal de So Joo del-Rei UFSJ Universidade Gama Filho Universidade Luterana do Brasil Universidad Autnoma de Aguascalientes Universidad Autnoma de Chapingo Universidad de Los Lagos Universidad de Medellin Universidad del Pacico Universidad Mayor de San Andrs Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas Universidad Tecnolgica de Mxico (UNITEC) Universidade do Vale do Rio Dos Sinos Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Universidad Catlica Nuestra Seora de la Asuncin Universidad Central de Chile Universidad de Magallanes (UMAG) Universidad El Bosque Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnologa Costa Rica (ULACIT) Universidad Metropolitana Universidad Tecnolgica de Panam (UTP) Universidade de Passo Fundo Universidade de Taubat Universidade Regional de Blumenau

PE CL CL CO MX UY EC BR BR BR MX CO CO PA PE CO PE AR BR BR MX CO CO GT CL AR BR BR BR BR MX MX CL CO PE BO PE MX BR BR PY CL CL CO CR VE PA BR BR BR

201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250 201-250

101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 101-200 -

Ciudad Universitaria Jose Antonio Echeverria - CUJAE Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniera Julio Garavito Escuela Superior de Administracion Publica (ESAP) Fundao Universidade Federal do Vale do So Francisco Instituto Tecnolgico Metropolitano - ITM Ponticia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra Senac So Paulo Universidad Abierta Interamericana - UAI Universidad Antonio Nario (UAN) Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy Universidad Arturo Prat Universidad Autnoma de Asuncin Universidad Autnoma de Bucaramanga Universidad Autnoma de Campeche Universidad Autnoma de Chiapas Universidad Autnoma de Chihuahua Universidad Autnoma de Ciudad de Jurez Universidad Autnoma de Coahuila Universidad Autnoma de Guerrero Universidad Autnoma de Manizales Universidad Autnoma de Nayarit Universidad Autnoma De Occidente Universidad Autnoma de Santo Domingo Universidad Autnoma de Sinaloa Universidad Autnoma de Tamaulipas Universidad Autnoma de Zacatecas Universidad Autnoma del Carmen Universidad Autnoma del Estado de Hidalgo Universidad Catlica Boliviana Universidad Catlica Cardenal Ral Silva Henrquez - UCSH Universidad Catlica de La Santsima Concepcin - UCSC Universidad Catlica de Santiago de Guayaquil Universidad Catlica de Temuco Universidad Catlica del Maule Universidad Central del Ecuador Universidad Central del Este Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas Universidad Centroamericana "Jos Simen Caas" - UCA Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) Universidad CES Universidad de Atacama Universidad de Carabobo Universidad de Cienfuegos Carlos Rafael Rodrguez Universidad de Cuenca Universidad de El Salvador Universidad de Manizales Universidad de Nario Universidad de Pamplona Universidad de Quintana Roo Universidad de San Buenaventura

Institution

2012 rank

2011 rank

2012 rank

2011 rank

CU CO CO BR CO DO BR AR CO AR CL PY CO MX MX MX MX MX MX CO MX CO DO MX MX MX MX MX BO CL CL EC CL CL EC DO CU SV NI CO CL VE CU EC SV CO CO CO MX CO

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al n tio a rn e t /in u u.a d .e s t u

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Brazilian higher education and economic growth

Catarina Roscoe Senior Consultant/ Director QS Consulting

ccording to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2011 Brazil overtook the UK and became the worlds sixth largest economy. Added to that, the International Labour Ofce (ILO) has reported a drop in Brazils youth unemployment rate from 21.8% to 15.2% between 2007 and 2011, while the global youth unemployment rate has increased at least a full percentage point during the same period. Moreover, the Brazilian government has been clearly prioritizing investment in education. Public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public expenditure has grown from 10.5% in 2000 to 17.4% in 2008, shifting Brazil to third position among the 27 countries on which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) holds data. Finally, Brazil counts for 65 out of the top 250 universities in QS Universities Ranking: Latin America. Although these gures demonstrate that Brazil is heading in the right direction, a deeper analysis of the countrys situation regarding

similar indicators shows that there is still much to be done. While Brazils GDP is the sixth biggest in the world, IMF reports that for GDP per capita it is just 53rd. And, despite the signicant reduction in youth unemployment between 2007 and 2011 and the fact that global trends in the period went in the opposite direction, Brazils youth unemployment is still higher than the global average (15.2% against 12.6%). Likewise, although public expenditure in education relative to total public expenditure has been ranked third in the OECD 2011 report (because total public spending represents a relatively small portion of the countrys GDP), overall national income invested in education is still below the OECD average (5.3% against 5.9%). Furthermore, if we look at the number of inhabitants versus universities ranked 1-200 in QS University Rankings: Latin America, Brazils gures would be behind Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, Colombia and Peru (see Figure 1).

Further analysis of Brazils performance in the QS Universities Ranking: Latin America points to some interesting opportunities for development. Looking at the average performance of the 63 Brazilian universities among the top 200 institutions in the QSUR:LA (see Figure 2), shows that Employer Reputation, Academic Reputation, Papers per Faculty and Citations per Paper are key areas for improvement. Likewise, a breakdown by region of Brazils top universities, population and GDP (see Figure 3) shows that: a) The South has the highest proportion of top universities relative to its share of the overall GDP. b) The North, Midwest and Northeast (especially the latter) have very low rates of top universities per inhabitant. When reviewing the performance of Brazils higher education within a global context, we nd that 11 Brazilian universities are ranked in the top 600 institutions reported in the 2011 results of the QS World University Rankings. Among BRIC countries, this performance is inferior to Chinas (17 universities in the top 600) but better than Russia and India (9 universities each). At the same time, Brazils performance is well behind that of some non-English speaking developed nations like Germany (42 universities in the top 600), France (25), Japan (27), and South Korea (17). OECD reports shows that Brazil has a below-average share of adults with tertiary qualications. Only 11% of Brazilians adult have university degrees, compared to an average of 30% among OECD countries. At the same time, employment among adults with a degree is higher than the average across OECD countries (85.6% against 84.4%). Moreover, the scarcity of skilled labour in Brazil means that the premium a tertiary graduate can expect to earn over a secondaryeducation graduate is 156%, while the average premium among OECD countries is 50%. Therefore, the incentives Brazilians have for completing higher education are signicant. And, in fact, tertiary enrolments have increased 57% between 2000 and 2008.

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Other research taken by ILO reveals that Brazils productivity level in 2008 was the second highest among the BRIC countries. However, the same report shows that Brazils productivity level was considerably below that of developed economies, and even lower than other Latin American countries such as Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. Countries productivity levels positively correlate with the skill levels of their workforce, which adds another reason for Brazil to seek to further improve its education system. Brazils recent economic growth, decline in youth unemployment, increases in expenditure on education and high number of institutions among the top universities in Latin America and the Caribbean are

certainly very strong achievements. This overview of Brazils higher education situation suggests that enhancing the link between universities and the private sector might present a major opportunity for the country. Private investment in education seems to be the most reasonable way of increasing the proportion of overall national income invested in education. Likewise, collaborations between the private sector and higher education institutions, as well as the strengthening of connections between curriculum design and employers requirements, should be perceived as important tools for improving productivity and creating more opportunities for enrolment in good quality tertiary education. Moreover, enhancing partnerships

between Brazilian universities and both the private sector and international universities can play a key role in accelerating knowledge creation and transfer. Finally, improving higher education standards in regions that have a low number of top universities per inhabitant is likely to have a positive impact on economic growth and inequality reduction.

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UNIVERSIDAD AUTNOMA DE ASUNCIN

Facultades
Ciencias Jurdicas, Polticas y Sociales Ciencias y Tecnologa Ciencias Econmicas y Empresariales Ciencias de la Salud Ciencias Humansticas y de la Comunicacin

Sedes
Sede Jeju Jeju N 667 c/ OLeary Telfono: +595 21 495873 Sede Monteoliva Montevideo N 756 esq. Oliva Telfono: +595 21 443803 Campus Social y Deportivo Hroes del 70 N 890. Lambar Telfono: +595 21 906974

www.uaa.edu.py
Encontranos a travs de
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ACADEMIC RESEARCH in Latin America

By Martin Ince

e are used to the idea of Asian universities becoming more visible producers of high-quality research. Might their colleagues in Latin America do the same some time soon? We know that the regions higher education systems are not yet world-class.The top Latin American university, So Paulo, was 169th in the 2011/12 QS World University Rankings. But intriguingly, it was 102nd in the world in terms of academic opinion, doing worse in other measures such as internationalisation and faculty/ student ratio.The same applies to Unicamp, Brazils second-placed institution.This suggests that academics around the world who are familiar with research at these universities rate it comparatively highly. As in other emerging regions such as the Middle East, the research priorities of Latin American nations are decided by local rather than world priorities. For example, Brazil spends about $1 billion per year on agricultural research, a massive sum by any standard, reecting the importance of agriculture to its economy. In addition, governments in the region retain a high degree of control over research funds. In Venezuela, legislation allows the government to allocate research money directly, despite proof from all over the world that these decisions are best taken by scientists. Despite these issues, Latin America has its share of globally-rated researchers. Miguel Nicolelis, a neuroscientist who works on direct brain connections to computers, is probably the regions best-known scientist on the world stage. He divides his time between Duke University in the US and a specially-funded lab in Natal, in North-East Brazil. As the biggest nation in the region and the most visible internationally, it is inevitable that Brazil dominates discussion of Latin American higher education. So Paulo has been our top university in both iterations of these rankings, joined in both years by Unicamp in third place. It is also notable that Rio de Janeiro has risen from 19th place in 2011 to number 8 this year. Research by the US National Science Foundation suggests that Brazils strong position in these rankings is due to a national effort to

increase the quality and quantity of its research. The NSF found that Brazil tripled its science output between 1993 and 2003, and it has carried on growing since. It is one of the big ve research producers outside the OECD nations, along with Taiwan, China, India and Russia.While Russian and Indian research output has fallen or stagnated, Brazil, China and Taiwan have expanded their efforts.The NSF has also found growing research budgets in Mexico and Costa Rica, but not in Argentina, Chile or Venezuela. In 2008, the NSF says, Brazil spent $22 billion on research, with Mexico, Argentina and Chile spending $5.8 billion, $2.7 billion and $1.2 billion respectively. Brazil is spending almost as much as Canada on research, while these four put together spend rather less than the UK. The NSF statistics show no research spending

Brazil spends about $1 billion per year on agricultural research

in any other Latin American nation.With such small budgets elsewhere, it is not a surprise that Brazil, Argentina and Mexico take nine of the top ten slots in our 2012 ranking, along with Colombias Universidad de Los Andes. But when we look at measures specically related to research, it seems that Brazil is even more dominant than the overall results might suggest. So Paulo and Unicamp are the top two institutions for PhDs as a percentage of academic staff, suggesting a commitment to research and also to high-level teaching. By contrast, Chiles Pontical University, second overall, is 35th on this measure. UNAM, Mexicos leading institution and fth in this ranking, is 71st for PhD-qualied staff, but has perfect scores on both academic and employer review. In addition, the top Brazilian institutions are regional leaders

in research productivity, measured in term of papers per academic staff member. While it is impossible for teaching-only institutions to do well in the World University Rankings, our Latin American rankings allow universities that are valuable for their teaching role to appear prominently. An example is Mexicos number two university, Tecnolgico de Monterrey. For the second year running, it has a top score for employer opinion, as well as being well-liked by other academics.These two results place ITESM, as it is known, in seventh place here. But it is 84th and 90th respectively when it comes to the production of academic papers and the frequency with which they are cited.This is a poor result for a technology-based institution and suggests that its priorities lie elsewhere. However, Latin American nations are aware that they need a more signicant presence in world research.This month the presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru chose the Paranal Observatory in Chile to sign a four-nation Pacic Alliance Agreement which specically encourages joint research. In addition, it includes measures on the free movement of people which will be important for universities seeking top researchers.The location of the ceremony was chosen to make the point that Latin America contains some world centres of research and knowledge creation. More importantly, the Pacic Alliance is intended to make its four member nations attractive to major Asian investment. High-level research is bound to help attract business interest in the region from around the world. In addition, there is bound to be future pressure for smaller nations in the region to increase their research output. Data from Scimago shows that three nations, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, produce most of the regions research, with Chile some way behind. But it also shows that the regions research publications output rose from 22,000 papers in 1996 to 85,000 in 2010, and that the percentage of these papers being cited has risen steadily.This suggests scope for the region to emerge as a signicant one for globally-important research.

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What do students have to say?

By Liliana Casallas
Though student satisfaction surveys have yet to be incorporated into QS rankings, they certainly have their uses. Liliana Casallas looks into the results of the student research conducted as part of the new QS Stars rating system

The UK overall student satisfaction rate is 80% in 2012.

here is potentially much to learn from student satisfaction surveys: from the success of a particular program, to the actual learning tools, services and experiences that a university is providing to students. Though the fact that students do not generally have much basis for comparing their own university experience with that provided elsewhere makes the notion of incorporating them into international rankings problematic, in the right context student surveys can be another revealing barometer of university performance. Some countries prepare their own standardized survey, as is the case with the National Student Survey introduced in the UK in 2005. This has been designed to assess levels of student satisfaction with the quality of programs, covering different aspects of the student learning experience. The UK overall student satisfaction rate is 80% in 2012. This provides a useful international reference point, coming from a country with one of the highest average scores in the QS academic reputation survey. In the 2011/12 QS World University Rankings, UK universities have an average score of 50.6 for academic reputation, well in excess of the global average of 38.9. In a national context, student satisfaction surveys are an important measure that can have an impact on institutional strategy. If student satisfaction data is effectively utilized to make improvements in courses, programs and administration, this could have a signicant effect on the development plans of institutions, from learning tools to services that support the students experience. Although student satisfaction is not an indicator in the methodology in the QS Rankings, it is however a measure for teaching quality established in the methodology of the QS Stars rating system.

With the support of participating universities QS Intelligence Unit (QSIU) conducts a survey measuring student satisfaction, as well as providing additional data on students perception of their university experience and the services provided. On an institutional level this can help to identify trends in student satisfaction both overall, and by level of study (undergraduate, Masters, PhD), study mode, academic discipline and students characteristics (age, nationality and gender). It can also help to identify trends by country and university type (eg private versus public). The survey measures the main motivations for choosing an institution and program, as well as levels of student satisfaction relating to course management, teaching and learning methods, learning experiences, student support services and resources provided. In Latin America approximately 86,000 students answered the survey, from 75 universities in 12 countries of the region. 63% of those are public universities. Respondents are predominantly from courses in administration, biological sciences, computing/ information technology and engineering. In terms of gender equity, women have made signicant progress in education. In education, the gap between men and women has been closing in all countries in the region, and in some, women have reached a higher level of education than men, such as in Brazil, Costa Rica,Venezuela, Argentina, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Colombia, notes a World Bank report. Of undergraduate respondents, 49% are female students, with slightly fewer at Master and PHD level. 75% of all survey respondents are undergraduates. The results suggest that main motivation to enrol in a particular program for undergraduate students is the overall reputation of the

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Graph 1. QS Student Satisfaction Survey, 2011.

institution, followed by career and employment prospects. Graduate students responses considered the overall institution reputation as well as its reputation in a given subject area as critical factors for selecting a university. The survey also measured the satisfaction of students in the region, with higher average results for safety on campus (84%), career support (73%), health, welfare and counselling (67%), and lower levels of satisfaction for adequate nancial aid (62%). Personal safety while on campus was one of the more important factors, although this varied from country to country. Conversely, countries with high crime rates and/ or a difcult political climate often spend a considerably larger amount on campus security, meaning results do not always follow the pattern of national safety gures. The satisfaction in countries such as Mexico and Colombia shows a higher rate than the regional average. However, Brazilian students satisfaction rate is one of the lowest in the region. See Graph 1. Careers support averaged 73% satisfaction, and this is an important measure both for retaining students within higher education and supporting their entry into a demanding job market. Student retention is one of the major challenges of Latin American universities, particularly within the public sector. Students face different levels of preparation when it comes to secondary school. It is important that institutions support students with additional academic resources where required to help them succeed in their courses. Mathematics, communication and research skills are some of the areas in which universities should look to help those students who are not adequately prepared for the academic demands, states Mrs. Emiliani Mendoza de Malagon, Head of Accreditation at EAN in Colombia. Statistics from UNESCO reveal that the number of enrolments necessary to produce a
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single graduate in Argentina is 24.4, compared to 6.6 in Mexico. Although it is difcult to identify reliable sources to measure the proportion of graduates and retention rates, studies shows that it is considerably lower in the region and particularly affects public universities since the investment per student is often lower. The survey also suggests that student support services are less satisfactory in public than in private universities in all categories. In terms of average levels of satisfaction, health, welfare and counselling services is one of the lowest-scoring categories among the support services. Students enter school with different expectations of their courses and when expectations are not met it is crucial to provide the appropriate support to students in order to help ensure they achieve their education goals. The survey suggests that this service is less satisfactory in public

universities (65%) than in private institutions (73%) in the region. (See Graph 2. Student Support Services) Although public universities offer free tuition in many countries in the region such as Brazil,Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico, and despite diverse access initiatives from private universities, the lowest average satisfaction score in the student services category is for access to nancial aid, with 62% satisfaction. It seems that government and private funding support is not sufcient to provide access for a growing population at a time of massication of demand for higher education. Ination is a factor that affects the region and the progressive rise in living costs forces a great number of students to drop out or switch to part time. Consolidated and independent mechanisms to collect information and data from students should be in place to respond to the demands of a fast-growing region, whether it is funded privately or publically. Student satisfaction surveys form an important measure that impacts various areas, from course management, marketing strategy, recruitment and selection of students, to internationalization strategies and reviewing public and private sector policies towards students. The better universities engage and retain students through their resources (IT, library and facilities), services, academic advice, and faculty and staff approachability. Less burocratic procedures may also lead to higher satisfaction rates, and a deeper sense of engagement to the institution.

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