Universities’ ranking to gain from investment

IRISH universities are set to jump up the world rankings because of Government investment in fourth-level research, according to the expert body advising them on best practice.

The number of PhD graduates is set to double to around 1,200 a year under a number of Government strategies unveiled in the past year as part of its policy to increase Ireland’s global ranking as a knowledge society and generate more research-led investment.

This month’s second print run of the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) good practice guidelines for PhD programmes is testament to the increased interest in putting the best structures and systems in place for the expanding doctoral or fourth-level education system.