For many institutions, to ignore your university's ranking is to become invisible, a risky proposition in a competitive search for funding. But rankings tell us little if anything about the education, scholarship, or engagement with communities offered by a university. Drawing on a range of research and inquiry-based methods, Global University Rankings and the Politics of Knowledge exposes how universities became servants to the education industry and its impact.

Conceptually unique in its scope, Global University Rankings and the Politics of Knowledge addresses the lack of empirical research behind university and journal ranking systems. Chapters from internationally recognized scholars in decolonial studies provide readers with robust frameworks to understand the intersections of coloniality and Indigeneity and how they play out in higher education. Contributions from diverse geographical and disciplinary contexts explore the political economy of rankings within the contexts of the Global North and South, and examine alternatives to media-driven rankings. This book allows readers to consider the intersections of power and knowledge within the wider contexts of politics, culture, and the economy, to explore how assumptions about gender, social class, sexuality, and race underpin the meanings attached to rankings, and to imagine a future that confronts and challenges cognitive, environmental, and social injustice.

About the Author
Michelle Stack is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia.

Reviews
"Global University Rankings and the Politics of Knowledge is a well-organized and well-written book that adds academic perspectives to the discussion of the purpose and impact of global university rankings. It is refreshing to have perspectives based upon actual research and the book provides a one stop shop for the current academic literature on university rankings. This book is a significant contribution to the discussion of national and global rankings." -- D.G. Marshall, Mount Royal and Nipissing Universities * The British Columbia Review *
"This timely collection reflects a wide range of geographical and critical perspectives on knowledge creation and what being a "world-class" university entails. Its key findings are relevant for anyone looking to participate in higher education and we recommend this book for its accessible discussions on how knowledge is produced, consumed, marketed, and ranked." -- Jeanna Pillainayagam and Karin Kermani, University of British Columbia * Canadian Journal of Higher Education *
"This book presents a comprehensive literature review on rankings in the context of production and dissemination of knowledge. It presents a wide range of discourses to establish the fact that education is a big business today. And it opens up various conversations around the hooks and crooks of ranking." -- Bidyarthi Dutta, Vidyasagar University * Journal of Scientometric Research *



Book Information
ISBN 9781487523398
Author Michelle Stack
Format Paperback
Page Count 262
Imprint University of Toronto Press
Publisher University of Toronto Press
Weight(grams) 360g
Dimensions(mm) 226mm * 150mm * 15mm