“…An outstanding achievement and clear indication of our quality”
"We are among the top 5 universities in Lebanon overall and ranked 1st in Lebanon and 8th in the Arab World for Citations per Paper. The next steps are to keep on advancing. We are not done yet!” said Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Elie Badr, during the interview on Notre Dame University-Louaize’s (NDU) placement this year and what it means for the University going forward.
What are the QS rankings and how important are they?
“Almost all institutions around the globe use the QS World University Rankings. Universities, parents, and students use them to benchmark different institutions against their peers, be they local or international. They are an indication of the quality of an institution.”
What was NDU’s ranking and how has it changed?
“We gained one more place in our ranking in Lebanon from last year, placing as 5th in the country. Mind you, we are ranked 5th behind institutions that are over 100 years old. That NDU is a much younger university and still ranked among in the top 5 universities in Lebanon is a clear indication of our quality.”
Where has NDU improved the most?
“NDU ranked as number 1 in Lebanon and number 8 in the Middle East for Citations per Paper – that means 8 out of 135 institutions. This recognition means that our research is up to date, impactful, and that colleagues and institutions outside of NDU consider it extremely important and of a very high standard. With the resources that we have compared to other institutions, being number 1 in Lebanon and number 8 in the Middle East are both outstanding achievements.”
What steps did NDU take to make such significant improvements?
“We have put a high level of importance on the amount of quality research output at NDU. This level of quality is required from Assistant and Associate Professors, of course, but when it comes to our full Professors, we insist on excellence in all aspects of academia: excellence in teaching, excellence in research, and excellence in services. We implemented this strategy five years ago and to advance our curricula, strengthen our research, and to improve our services I believe our strategy is really paying off.
In Academic Year (AY) 2014/2015, NDU ranked at 51+ in the Arab World. From 2014/15 to 2018/2019 we gained approximately 26 places and then another 4 places in AY 2019/2020 for a total of 30 places in a matter of 6 years. Now, we are in the top 20th percentile in the region.”
How does it affect current and prospective students?
“It sends a clear message: in addition to being part of an institution accredited by the New England Commission for Higher Education (NECHE) – the oldest and most prestigious commission– their Alma Mater is ranked among highest institutions in the country.
Our faculty often include their students in their projects, which means that our students are involved in high-quality impactful academic work. Research requires independent minds, so when you involve students in research, not only are we pushing their knowledge further, we are teaching them how to solve open-ended questions.
When NDU students graduate, they have the ability to solve problems standing on their own feet in business, academia, or any other endeavor. A lot of our graduate students have contributed to their chosen field even at the university level, and that speaks volumes about our institution and its commitment to our students.”
What are the next steps for NDU in terms of QS World Rankings?
“The next steps are to keep on advancing. We are not done yet!”