Professor Nian Cai Liu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University discusses the methodology and results of ShanghaiRanking’s recent Global Ranking of Academic Disciplines 2016, focusing specifically on the ranking for engineering.

While institutional rankings represent a principle object of global university rankings, it is evident that there are also reasons for subject or discipline related rankings.

Firstly, without diminishing the importance of the organising framework represented by the university, academic disciplines provide substance and context in which academic activities are carried out.

Secondly, academic disciplines are important in determining the intellectual and scholarly identity of academics.

Thirdly, and particularly relevant in the context of rankings, is that there is hardly an institution which can claim to perform equally well in all academic disciplines.

Considering the impact of global university rankings on higher education in the world, there is an increasing need for subject or discipline related rankings.

The recent publication of Global Ranking of Academic Disciplines for engineering subjects is the latest contribution of ShanghaiRanking.