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THE Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) has dismissed the recently published Webometrics world university ranking terming it a mere propaganda tool and lacking credibility.
IUCEA also says it has embarked on developing its own rankings for higher institutions of learning that will be used to grade institutions henceforth.
Speaking to journalists in Arusha, Council Executive Secretary Prof Mike Kuria said the council will work on an annual ranking that will raise the profiles of researchers from well-ranked universities both locally and internationally with a view to having them contribute meaningfully to the region’s development.
The recently published Webometrics world university ranking placed Kenya’s University of Nairobi at 7th position while the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) came in at 32nd position.
The ranking as released last month provided web indicators for more than 12,000 universities worldwide. The ranking is said to have considered parameters such as web presence, visibility, transparency (openness) and (Scholar) excellence.
“We will therefore work on the rankings with a view of creating our own rankings. The good thing with the rankings is that they help our students make right choices as far as the quality of education of these ranked universities is concerned,” explained the don.
According to the academician who is also an educationist and associate professor at Daystar University in Kenya, the rankings will be used to reestablish the regional centers of Excellencies.
Kuria’s remarks come in the wake of preparations for the upcoming East Africa regional academic forum slated for Nairobi in a week’s time.
“As you are all aware, higher learning institutions have been accused of churning out semi baked graduates, the matter will be at the center of every discussion,” he said.
