In 2021, it is impossible to discuss the subject of reputation without looking at the impact of Covid19, and this is perhaps another key sign that an institution’s reputation cannot be solely attributable to rankings.

Rankings and reputation are entwined but reputation is about more than rankings. That was the key conclusion from a World 100-moderated session at the THE Arab Rankings Forum on 27 July. World 100 Director Louise Simpson discussed ‘Using Rankings to Enhance Reputation’ with a panel of experts from some of the biggest universities in the Arab region.

Ask someone on the street to name a prestigious university they will often name institutions with a long, rich history, established hundreds of years ago. But there are numerous institutions all over the world, founded much more recently, that are hot on the heels of those historical, elite universities. One of those universities is Aalto University, Finland, formed in just 2010.

World 100 Director Louise Simpson explored the origins and creative thinking behind the visual identity of Finland’s Aalto University during the THE Young University Summit, when she spoke to their president, Ilkka Niemelä.

Many things have had to adapt during the COVID19 pandemic. This was the case for our Reputation Academy, which had to move online for 2021

Coronavirus has changed a lot of things for a lot of people, not least the world’s perception of cleanliness. We are now more laidback about things that used to seem like the most important thing in the world; more conscious of other people’s whereabouts and well-being; more aware of how important our relationships with other people are than ever before. We’re also changing how we work.

Why is networking so beneficial and how can it help? Well, we could list a dozen reasons why, but really, all the benefits can be grouped together into 2 main areas:

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.

When the room is filled with communications professionals, you’d expect the networking session at the W100 Annual Conference to be a lively affair. And it is. If you could listen in to the conversations taking place, you would hear colleagues sharing their experiences with peers from across the world.