Reputation and the pandemic: what happens next? Mark Sudbury looks at how universities are looking at the next stage of activities of the pandemic response

Rankings Watch is a regular feature from Mark Sudbury, Head of Global Network Development, looking at activity in the university rankings

Justin Ralph, CIO at World 100 Member, RCSI in Dublin, shares his experience of how IT and online transformation can happen quickly in a crisis

Universities around the world have been stepping up to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways. Our latest round-up from World 100 members highlights how universities have been showcasing the efforts of scientists and social scientists in addressing key elements of the pandemic.

Social media platforms have become crucial in the response of universities to the pandemic, and the latest analysis from the W100 Social Media Rankings shows that our members are stepping up to the mark.

W100 members continue to perform well in the latest Social Media Engagement Rankings covering the month of February. The Rankings, which cover engagement across 5 key platforms for the world’s top 450 universities, are published quarterly

Whilst scientists and researchers battle to develop a cure for the coronavirus, higher education institutions are facing one of the toughest challenges ever. It goes without saying that the number one objective is to keep students and staff safe, but the business repercussions are now being felt keenly. 

2020 promises to be another year which presents increasing challenges to universities operating globally, whilst providing opportunities to grow profile and embed reputation as a key pillar of institutional strategy and delivery.

This month's Rankings Watch looks at the academic reputation surveys that underpin the THE World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings

The latest World 100 Reputation Network social media rankings, covering engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube across 467 of the world's best universities. 6 W100 members feature in the top 100 for social media engagement across all platforms.

The next W100 annual research project kicks off in January, with the launch of the first surveys for the International Reputation Tracker pilot. Most W100 members are taking an active role in the project to develop new ways of measuring reputation internationally beyond the rankings.

An overview of the final global ranking of the season, U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities 2019 and a focus on our members' performance