Task Force Benchmark

The Task Force Benchmark 2022-2023 supports and inspires our Members, optimising depiction of performance in important rankings and assessment systems and sharing experiences on and data from metrics and rankings issues. It reflects on how society, policy, funding agencies and stakeholders perceive universities (not at least through rankings), as well as how universities would like to be perceived - and work on recommendations on what data could be used to influence and shape these images and corresponding perceptions.

From 2022 to 2023, this task force addresses the following three main themes:

1. Promote integration of next generation and progressive metrics for institutional development, and promote FAIR and open data;

2. Explore contributing to the development and design of European Higher Education Sector Observatory which aims at monitoring the implementation of the European Strategy for Universities and assessing the European Universities initiative;

3. Observe university rankings, especially changes in rankings methodology (e.g. THE’s new methodology for their World University Rankings), engage with rankers such as THE, QS, Leiden and U-Multirank, provide structured feedback to them and share experiences among Members.

 It has the following four objectives:

1. Address rankings and next generation metrics, and constructively engage with stakeholders to promote the understanding of the positive impact of science and technology on society;

2. Foster strategic relationships through collaborating with academic and societal players, including rankers, the European institutions and other university associations;

3. Collect, discuss and disseminate tools, resources, best practice and experiences concerning both rankings and the metrics in them as well as next generation metrics;

4. Support our Members and association in knowing how and what to measure and in developing a persuasive evidence base for institutional development and policy making.