A key recommendation in the Rankings Influencers research is to ensure that academics are attending high-quality international conferences, a key factor in building reputation.

It was therefore alarming to learn about the growing spread of ‘predatory’ conferences, so-called ‘multi-disciplinary symposia’ organised by commercial events organisations.

Times Higher Education quoted James McCrostie, associate professor at Daito Bunka University in Japan, who warned that the increasing pressure on faculty and PhD students to present at conferences is driving some to engage with events with little real academic credibility and poor outcomes.

This confirms the importance of the recommendation in the Ranking Influencers report that universities look strategically at supporting academics in effective international engagement, including the best conferences to attend.