Interview Regarding Chung-Ang University’s Ranking

College evaluations are becoming an issue again nowadays and you might have seen the evaluation of social and humanities studies that came out in the Joongang Ilbo, and the QS Worldwide University Assessment that was mentioned again recently in the Chosun Ilbo, so the Chung-Ang Herald decided to interview Sin Jae-yeong, the leader of the evaluation planning team. 
 
What elements enabled the Department of Psychology, and the Department of English Language and Literature to receive the highest grade in the Joongang Ilbo evaluation?
The evaluation indexes are comprised of research results, (thesis, research expenses, patents) employment and satisfaction rates, internationalization, (rate of classes taught in English, rate of foreign students, the diversity in nationality among foreign students) education conditions, (the size of scholarships per student, development funds paid per full-time teachers) social education service (rate of public lectures, rate of participation in social service) and so on. Each department is evaluated according to these indexes, and departments are able to receive a high grade if they satisfy each item.
 
Students usually have a general idea of the ranking of universities, but the ranks that the Joongang Ilbo showed were rather unexpected.
The reason that there is a difference between the general rankings (which are usually based on entrance exam grades) and the college evaluation rankings is because a variety of indexes are used for the latter. In the case of Chung-Ang University, we ranked 12th in 2006, and up until the institution was changed, we fell to 14th place. However, we recently rose in rankings so we are expecting even better results in the future.
 
There is a concern that if we merge with the Anseong campus, Chung-Ang University’s rank will go down again.
Until 2010, the Seoul campus was evaluated together with the Anseong campus, so we had some trouble in raising our rank. For the first time this year, the Anseong and Seoul campus were evaluated separately. However, there is a possibility that we will have to be evaluated together again from next year, so our team is still finding a way to minimize the negative influence that this will give to our rank. We still have to negotiate the matter with other institutions until we know something for sure.
 
Chung-Ang University has a goal to make it in the top 100 universities in the world by 2018. However, according to the QS Evaluation for universities around the world, we are still in the 501~550 range in ranks.
First of all, the worldwide university evaluation system has a structure in which it is advantageous for universities that have big scale colleges in the ‘natural sciences and engineering’ fields to get good scores. Chung-Ang University rose a considerable amount in rankings this year, but other universities rose as well, so our improvement was not able to receive much attention. In 2009, we entered the 501~600 range for the first time, was in the 550~600 range in 2010, and we were in the 501~550 range this year having risen about 50 ranks. To be honest, before our foundation was changed to Doosan, the research results in the science and engineering fields were not so good. However, since 2008, we have been improving at a fast rate. In 2007, there were only about 500~540 theses, but the number rose to 1025 in 2010. Only 20~30 professors were added to the school, so it can be said that the research ability has developed a great deal. I think we will have to wait about 2~3 more years until the school’s many improvements truly show their colors. Also we are sending newsletters to scholars around the world 3~4 times a year, telling them about the achievements that professors and students at our school have accomplished, and are inviting able professors from both inside and outside the country. Additional efforts are being planned for upcoming evaluations, so at this rate of development, there is a good chance that we will make it in the top 100 universities by 2018.     
 
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