CoARA launches TURN Working Group to foster critical engagement with global university rankings
Introducing TURN: A CoARA Working Group on University Rankings
University rankings are everywhere. They shape student choices, influence institutional strategies, and even steer global perceptions of academic excellence. But behind the glossy league tables lies a troubling reality: rankings often rely on narrow indicators—such as publication metrics—that distort priorities and undermine responsible research assessment.
For signatories of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), the commitment is clear: avoid the use of university rankings in research assessment. Yet rankings’ influence extends far beyond research evaluation, creating ripple effects that conflict with CoARA’s broader vision for fair, transparent, and diverse assessment systems. Ignoring rankings isn’t enough: we need to engage critically with them.
Introducing TURN: Thinking Critically About University Rankings Network
The TURN Working Group, standing for "Thinking critically about University Rankings Network" has been launched to tackle this challenge head-on. Our mission is to create a platform for dialogue, evidence-building, and awareness-raising around the global university rankings phenomenon.
What we aim to do:
- Map the relationships between rankings and key stakeholders: students, university leaders, strategic planners, data analysts, and ranking organizations themselves.
- Generate evidence on the cascade effects of rankings on institutional strategies, research priorities, and academic culture.
- Foster critical engagement by developing tools and opportunities that challenge the notion of a single, universal measure of university quality.
Our First-Year Objectives
TURN is a one-year Working Group with three core goals:
- Facilitate Conversations
Provide a space for stakeholders to share experiences and perspectives on how rankings shape decisions and behaviors. - Build Awareness
Highlight the unintended consequences of rankings, including their impact on research integrity, diversity, and equity. - Develop Innovative Tools
As part of our engagement strategy, TURN will design a playful yet thought-provoking resource:
“University Top Trumps”, a card game that illustrates the absurdity of reducing institutional quality to a single score. This tool will help challenge the dominance of rankings and spark discussion about alternative approaches.
How TURN Fits into CoARA’s Vision
CoARA advocates for research assessment systems that are responsible, transparent, and diverse. Rankings, with their heavy reliance on simplistic metrics, run counter to these principles. By critically engaging with rankings - not merely avoiding them - TURN supports CoARA signatories in:
- Strengthening integrity in research assessment.
- Promoting diversity in evaluation criteria.
- Encouraging systemic change beyond one-size-fits-all measures of excellence.
Join the Conversation
If you are a CoARA signatory or a stakeholder interested in shaping a more equitable and meaningful approach to university evaluation, we invite you to engage with us. Interested in learning more about WG TURN? Please join us for the upcoming kick off meeting on 9 December 2025!
Kick off meeting details:
Date: 9 December 2025
Time: 16:30–17:30 CET
Zoom link: https://ca01web.zoom.us/j/63125199052?pwd=YtIqqabGWjbULb7yvU8t77bZOGE628.1
Meeting ID: 631 2519 9052
Passcode: 834372
This meeting will introduce the goals and planned activities of the new working group and provide an opportunity for participants to express their interests and preferred ways of contributing. Please join us for the kick off meeting and share widely among your network!
Stay tuned for updates on our activities, resources, and opportunities to participate. Together, we can turn the tide on rankings.