University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald
Thursday, 11 June 2020

University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald has welcomed UL’s improved position in the latest QS World University Rankings.

QS features over 1,000 of the most prestigious universities in the world, ranked based on a methodology that assesses each institution on six metrics, including its reputation amongst academics and employers.

“I am cautiously optimistic about University of Limerick’s move up a rankings band to 511-520 and, more particularly, our progress across a number of areas which has made this possible. Not just the progress but also their alignment with our Strategic Plan’s promotion of excellence, research and innovation,” said Dr Fitzgerald.

“We are third in Ireland for citations, an improvement of 1.8%. This is assessed on both a qualitative (premiere league publications) and quantitative basis (how many publications). Publishing in top quality journals is working for UL and we need to develop this further.

“Academic Reputation is based on a survey sent to academics around the world. They are asked to list universities that they deem to be world leaders in their area. We have seen a 1.3% improvement in this measure, and a continued focus on building international collaborations will strengthen this further in the future. From a strategic point of view, this area accounts for 40% of the total score so an increase here can make a huge difference to our overall ranking.

“Similarly, Employer Reputation, which looks at market penetration for our graduates, is drawn from responses to a survey sent to employers. The better the engagement with our business connections in Ireland and around the world the better the score. A 3.3% increase shows that we are heading in the right direction in graduating students who are recognised by employers for their high quality and contributions. 

“Our International standing both in relation to faculty and students is positive, contributing to our stated aim to be an international university in the mid-west of Ireland.

“Overall, we are heading in the right direction. There is significant potential for improvement by keeping our focus on quality and international collaboration in research and scholarship, and excellence in education,” added UL President Dr Fitzgerald.

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