0 item(s)

    Introduction:

    The Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) introduced its new global university ranking system “World University Rankings 2018” (https://wur.isc.ac) in March 2019. Of course, ranking is not a new practice in ISC. In fact, ISC – as an ISESCO-Affiliated Center – based on its duties, has been ranking OIC universities since its establishment in 2008. But in 2018, it took the initiative to upgrade its regional ranking system into a global one.

    This new ranking system reports the status of 1220 universities from all over the world. They were selected from a population of more than 3000 universities. At this stage, all universities with at least 1500 WoS articles during 2014-2016 were considered. This is important since it allows for comparison of universities of similar size.

    This ranking system covers four general criteria including research, education, international activity and innovation comprising 12 subparts as indicated in Figure 1 below:

    Figure 1. ISC Ranking Criteria & Indicators

    Through this ranking system, universities can receive invaluable information about their general performance as well as their performance in each subpart as they can compare their performance with other universities over the globe. This latter possibility can be used efficiently in policy making so as to enhance the status of each university within each country, each region or over the globe.

    Besides this new service, ISC continuously analyzes the performance of different universities and submits consultancy reports with the objective to accelerate the rate of improvement of each university. To avail themselves of this opportunity, universities may contact ISC at info@isc.ac after which the necessary steps and formalities will be communicated. In what follows a brief account of the performance of the OIC region and Sultan Qaboos University is provided:

    OIC Region:

    From among all OIC universities from 57 OIC countries, 99 universities (from 15 countries) are present in ISC World University Rankings 2018. Table 1 shows the list of universities from each OIC country along with their status in this ranking system.

    Table 1. OIC universities in ISC World University Rankings 2018

    Country No. of Universities Specification of Universities
    Turkey Harvard University HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY (500-600), ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY (500-600), ANKARA UNIVERSITY (600-800), BOGAZICI UNIVERSITY (600-800), IHSAN DOGRAMACI BILKENT UNIVERSITY (600-800), ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY (600-800), MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY (600-800), DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY (800-1000), EGE UNIVERSITY (800-1000), ERCIYES UNIVERSITY (800-1000), GAZI UNIVERSITY (800-1000), KOC UNIVERSITY (800-1000), MARMARA UNIVERSITY (800-1000), AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY (1001+), ANADOLU UNIVERSITY (1001+), ATATURK UNIVERSITY (1001+), BASKENT UNIVERSITY (1001+), CUKUROVA UNIVERSITY (1001+), DICLE UNIVERSITY (1001+), ESKISEHIR OSMANGAZI UNIVERSITY (1001+), FIRAT UNIVERSITY (1001+), GAZIANTEP UNIVERSITY (1001+), INONU UNIVERSITY (1001+), KARADENIZ TEKNIK UNIVERSITY (1001+), KOCAELI UNIVERSITY (1001+), ONDOKUZ MAYIS UNIVERSITY (1001+), PAMUKKALE UNIVERSITY (1001+), SAKARYA UNIVERSITY (1001+), SELCUK UNIVERSITY (1001+), SULEYMAN DEMIREL UNIVERSITY (1001+), ULUDAG UNIVERSITY (1001+), YILDIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY (1001+)
    Iran 24 ISLAMIC AZAD UNIVERSITY (400-500), UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN (400-500), TEHRAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (500-600) , AMIRKABIR UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (600-800), ISFAHAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (600-800), SHARIF UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (600-800), FERDOWSI UNIVERSITY MASHHAD (800-1000), IRAN UNIVERSITY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (800-1000), SHAHID BEHESHTI UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCIENCES (800-1000), SHIRAZ UNIVERSITY (800-1000), TARBIAT MODARES UNIVERSITY (800-1000), UNIVERSITY OF TABRIZ (800-1000), IRAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (1001+), ISFAHAN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCIENCE (1001+), K. N. TOOSI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (1001+), MASHHAD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCIENCE (1001+), PAYAME NOOR UNIVERSITY (1001+), RAZI UNIVERSITY (1001+), SHAHID BEHESHTI UNIVERSITY (1001+), SHIRAZ UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (1001+), TABRIZ UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE (1001+), UNIVERSITY KASHAN (1001+), UNIVERSITY OF GUILAN (1001+), UNIVERSITY OF ISFAHAN (1001+)
    Malaysia 10 UNIVERSITI MALAYA (251-300), UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA (500-600), UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA (600-800), UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (600-800), UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA (600-800), INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA (1001+), UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PAHANG (1001+), UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (1001+), UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS (1001+), UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA PERLIS (1001+)
    Egypt 9 CAIRO UNIVERSITY (400-500), AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY (600-800), ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY (600-800), MANSOURA UNIVERSITY (600-800), ASSIUT UNIVERSITY (800-1000), SUEZ CANAL UNIVERSITY (800-1000), AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY (1001+), TANTA UNIVERSITY (1001+), ZAGAZIG UNIVERSITY (1001+)
    Pakistan 6 COMSATS INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (CIIT) (600-800), QUAID I AZAM UNIVERSITY (600-800), NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY - PAKISTAN (800-1000), UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB (800-1000), UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FAISALABAD (1001+), UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI (1001+)
    Tunisia 4 UNIVERSITE DE TUNIS-EL-MANAR (600-800), UNIVERSITE DE SFAX (800-1000), UNIVERSITE DE CARTHAGE (1001+), UNIVERSITE DE MONASTIR (1001+)
    Saudi Arabia 4 KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY (38), KING SAUD UNIVERSITY (171), KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (301-350), KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM & MINERALS (400-500)
    Jordan 2 JORDAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (800-1000), UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN (1001+)
    Indonesia 2 UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA (800-1000), INSTITUTE TECHNOLOGY OF BANDUNG (1001+)
    Uganda 1 MAKERERE UNIVERSITY (600-800)
    Oman 1 *SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY (800-1000)
    Qatar 1 QATAR UNIVERSITY (600-800)
    Kuwait 1 KUWAIT UNIVERSITY (800-1000)
    Nigeria 1 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN (800-1000)
    Lebanon 1 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT (600-800)

    Overall Performance of Sultan Qaboos University within OIC Region:

    Based on ISC World University Rankings 2018 overall rank, Sultan Qaboos University (rank=800-1000) together with 21 other universities ranked 33rd among all OIC universities. It ranked first among all universities in Oman.

    Performance of Sultan Qaboos University in OIC/World within Each Criterion:

    I. Research Criterion

    Studying the performance of OIC universities in research criterion, Sultan Qaboos University, with the Research score of 59.7, ranked 55st together with University of Isfahan among all OIC universities.

    At the global scale, and in research criterion, the score obtained by Sultan Qaboos University was 59.7 (rank=1062) (Figure 2).

    Figure 2. Score/Rank of Sultan Qaboos University in Research Criterion in the World

    II. Education Criterion

    Figure 3 shows the performance of OIC universities in education criterion. In this criterion, Sultan Qaboos University, with the Education score of 6.3, ranked 13th together with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, American University of Beirut, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia among all OIC universities. King Abdulaziz University, King Saud University, and Iran University of Medical Sciences ranked 1st to 3rd respectively.

    Figure 3. OIC Universities in Education Criterion

    At the global scale, and in Education criterion, the score obtained by Sultan Qaboos University was 6.3 (rank=265) (Figure 2).

    III. International Activity

    Figure 4 shows the performance of OIC universities in International Activity criterion. In this criterion, Sultan Qaboos University, with the International Activity score of 62.9 ranked 32nd among all OIC universities. King Abdulaziz University, King Saud University, and University Malaya ranked 1st to 3rd respectively.

    Figure 4. OIC Universities in International Activity Criterion

    IV. Innovation Criterion

    The last criterion in ISC World University Rankings 2018 is Innovation. Studying the performance of OIC universities in this criterion, Sultan Qaboos University with the Innovation score of 1.4 ranked 44th together with Mansoura University among all OIC universities.

    At the global scale, and in Innovation criterion, the score of Sultan Qaboos University was 1.4 (rank=988) (Figure 2).