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LLU ranks among the best universities in the world in the international social science rating

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In November, the World University Rankings 2020 by subject: social sciences was published, where LLU in Jelgava is named among the 720 research-active, top universities in the world, which is internationally known as Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Universities in the overall ranking account for 5% of all higher education institutions in the world.

The social sciences rating is part of the overall ranking of Times Higher Education Universities, the results of which were released in September. The social sciences are highly regarded institutions of higher education and research, which deal with communication and media studies, politics and international studies, sociology and geography. Leading the rankings in the social science subject in the ranking are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University and Harvard University. However, in total, 720 higher education and research institutions from around the world meet the quality requirements of the rating.

LLU ranked in position 601+. Another Latvian higher education institution - the University of Latvia - has shown the same result. Other Latvian universities have not been ranked.

Social Sciences is one of the three fields of study and science at LLU, along with engineering and biosciences. Studies in social sciences are mainly carried out by the LLU Faculty of Economics and Social Development, offering higher education in sociology, economics and management, as well as carrying out interdisciplinary research.

“Worldwide experience shows that social sciences are strong in universities and institutes where social scientists work with scientists from other disciplines, enabling them to carry out research in their area of ​​specialization and to develop centers of excellence in engineering and technology transfer. A notable example is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked number one in this year's Social Sciences Ranking. LLU has chosen a similar development path, followed by a high international rating, ”explains Andra Zvirbule, Dean of the LLU Faculty of Economics and Social Development.

The Times Higher Education ranking measures research-active universities from around the world using a number of criteria in five lines of action: studies (study environment), science (volume, income, reputation), citation (science impact), international profile (teachers, students, research) and industry income (knowledge transfer). The criteria measure university performance and rank only the world's top universities, while thematic rankings use aggregate rating data, categorized by different disciplines.

It has been previously reported that the LLU ranks first in the 1001+ group for the first time this year in the overall Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2020. The engineering and technology sector, meanwhile, has been ranked among the top 1’000 universities.

According to the International Association of Universities, there are currently around 19’400 higher education institutions in 196 countries offering education and research activities. As a result, only about 5% of all higher education institutions in the world rank in the Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking. While other sources indicate that there are well over 25’000 such institutions.

Submitted on: 11/11/2019