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The Ranking Phenomenon and the Experience of Academics in Taiwan

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Abstract

The primary aim of the paper is to examine how global university rankings have influenced the higher education sector in Taiwan from the perspective of academics. A qualitative case study method was used to examine how university ranking influenced the Taiwanese higher education at institutional and individual levels, respectively, thereby providing insights into the challenges that a group of academics faced. As for institutional level, the paper discusses how universities used rankings as a tool of quality assurance, and the extent to which rankings intensified competition between universities in Taiwan. In regard to individual level, the paper focuses on how faculty members had to abandon their teaching duties under the climate of competitiveness and achievements brought by rankings. It concludes by arguing that the effects of global ranking have caused inequality in Taiwan’s higher education.

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Notes

  1. In University E, faculty performance appraisal mainly takes teaching and services into account. Faculty could decide whether research performance is included as a criterion in their performance appraisal or not. In other words, research duties are optional.

  2. The zhong group (zhongzibei) roughly refers to four national universities, namely Central University Chung Hsing University Sun Yat-sen University and Chung Cheng University as their names start with the Chinese character (zhong). Zhong also means middle in Chinese.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Bob Adamson for very helpful comments on an earlier version of the paper. I also thank the editor and the reviewers of Higher Education Policy for sharp and constructive criticism of the version originally submitted to the journal. The usual disclaimers apply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Education and Lifelong Learning, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, 10 Lo Ping Road, Taipo, New Territories, Hong Kong

    William Yat Wai Lo

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Lo, W. The Ranking Phenomenon and the Experience of Academics in Taiwan. High Educ Policy 27, 259–277 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2013.22

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