Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-01 16:37:33
The University of Nairobi has once again emerged as the top-ranked university in Kenya according to the latest ranking by Webometrics. At the same time, Mount Kenya University has made significant strides, jumping six places to break into the top ten best universities in Kenya for the first time.
Previously ranked at number 16, Mount Kenya University has now secured the 10th position in the list, marking one of the highest improvements in the ranking. The list is primarily dominated by public universities, with the University of Nairobi maintaining its position as the number one university in Kenya.
The significant improvement by Mount Kenya University reflects the institution’s commitment to enhancing teaching and learning and investing in research and innovations. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi, expressed that the ranking is a testament to the university’s efforts in these areas.
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is conducted by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group that belongs to the largest public research body in Spain, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. The ranking evaluates universities based on the quality of education they offer and considers research output, including formal (e-journals and repositories) and informal scholarly communication. Diploma mills, fake, or doubtful institutions are not included in the rankings.
In terms of the broader African context, South African and Egyptian universities dominate the top positions in the Webometrics ranking, with the University of Nairobi being ranked 15th in Africa. The ranking assesses more than 20,000 universities worldwide, with American institutions dominating the top ten global universities, alongside one British institution.
According to the founder of Mount Kenya University, Simon Gicharu, the university’s investment in research, particularly in areas such as the Centre for Malaria laboratory, has played a crucial role in its improvement. He emphasized the university’s focus on training and research, which has contributed to making a positive impact in the community.
The parameters for ranking universities include impact or visibility (the number of external networks linking to the institution’s webpages), transparency or openness (top cited researchers, number of citations), and excellence or scholar rank (top cited papers, number of papers published).
The other universities listed in the top ten ranking for Kenya include Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, Moi University, Maseno University, Strathmore University, Technical University of Kenya, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
In conclusion, the latest Webometrics ranking has highlighted both the University of Nairobi’s continued excellence and Mount Kenya University’s remarkable progress, demonstrating the commitment to quality education and research within the Kenyan higher education landscape.
Read the original article on Daily Nation
