The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, has been
graded the best in the country and among the best 2000 in the world in the
latest Webometrics
ranking released in January this year.
The Webometrics
University Ranking, which provides indicators for more than 12,000 universities
in the world, is based on university web presence, visibility and web access.
The ranking system measures how strongly a university is present in the web by
its own web domain, sub-pages, rich files and published scholarly articles.
The
ranking system is premised on the belief that web presence is a reliable
indicator of the global performance and prestige of the universities and could
serve as an indirect way to measure efficiency of universities in the
performance of their tripartite function of teaching, research and knowledge
transfer.
Acting Public Relations Officer, PRO of the UNN, Chief Okwun Omeaku
made this known at Nsukka, saying that the improved rating of the institution
was not unconnected with the enhanced research efforts in the university
following the Vice-Chancellor’s encouragement and financial reward system.
According to Omeaku, the ranking which started in 2004 is updated every January
and July.
In the latest edition of the ranking, the UNN was rated the first in
Nigeria, 1389th best university in the world and 14th best in Africa based on
its Google Scholar citation profile. The University of Ibadan was graded 1608th
in the World, 18th in Africa and 2nd in the country.
“In the penultimate
Webometrics ranking, the UNN was ranked 7th in Nigeria and 82nd in Africa, and
had no trace in the global rating,” he said pointing out that the
administration of the university, under Prof.
Benjamin Ozumba had introduced a-
publish-and-be-paid policy to encourage academic staff in engaging in impact
factor-based researches.
Under the policy, the university administration pays
publication fees for research papers that have been accepted for publication in
journals with Thompson Reuters Impact Factor.
The administration also undertakes
to give cash rewards to staff who publish in the approved Impact Factor (IF)
journals. Such reward ranges from N10, 000 to N200, 000 depending on the IF
rating of the journal. The Ozumba-led administration also approved N100,000 as
seed capital for over 214 research groups in the university.
“The UNN is the
only university in the country where staff are paid for publishing research
articles that will be considered for their promotions,” Chief Omeaku, added.
Omeaku further said that the rating was the first sign of a glorious future for
the university.
“The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ozumba, is determined to make the
UNN the best in Africa and among the top 10 in the world. That will happen
sooner than later,” he pointed out.
