DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-042-9-0094

TO RANK OR NOT TO RANK: THE GLOBAL OBSESSION WITH WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY STATUS

Umidakhon Narimanova¹

¹ Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

This study concludes that while reputation management and rankings-based competitiveness can provide universities with short-term international visibility, they may also undermine the deeper purposes of higher education, particularly in emerging systems like Uzbekistan’s, where institutional identity, autonomy and public responsibility are still evolving. The findings suggest that the growing emphasis on global metrics, branding and market-driven indicators often leads to a narrowing of institutional priorities, where form is privileged over substance. In many cases, this results in the neglect of core academic missions such as high-quality teaching, critical inquiry, and meaningful societal engagement. Moreover, the pursuit of “world-class” status, when defined primarily by rankings, risks creating a homogenised model of excellence that fails to reflect local contexts and developmental needs. The study therefore advocates for a more context-sensitive and mission-driven vision of university development, one that prioritises academic integrity, educational relevance and long-term public impact over superficial performance indicators. Reframing the notion of excellence in these terms is essential to supporting more sustainable, inclusive and meaningful trajectories for higher education, both in Uzbekistan and beyond.

Keywords: world-class universities, global rankings, reputation management, university brand management

pages: 94-95, online: 2025