THE (Times Higher Education)

THE (Times Higher Education)
Name	Times Higher Education
Type	Weekly magazine
Format	Print and digital
Founded	1971 (as The Times Higher Education Supplement)
Owner	Inflexion Private Equity (as of 2020)
Headquarters	London
Language	English

THE (Times Higher Education) is a London-based weekly magazine and digital publisher covering University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University, Yale University and other higher learning institutions. Founded as a supplement to The Times (London), the publication reports on news concerning University of Chicago, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, Australian National University, University of Melbourne, Peking University, Tsinghua University, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Indian Institute of Science, University of Delhi, University of São Paulo, University of Buenos Aires, ETH Zurich, University of Geneva, Sorbonne University, University of Paris, University of Bologna, University of Salamanca, Heidelberg University, Humboldt University of Berlin, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Ecole Polytechnique, and officials from European Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, World Bank and other international bodies.

History

THE began in the early 1970s as the supplement to The Times (London) and later split into an independent title during ownership changes involving News International and private investors. Editors and contributors have included journalists who previously worked at The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Independent, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and commentators from Times Higher Education Supplement-era alumni. Over decades the title expanded coverage to feature reporting on prominent academics affiliated with Noam Chomsky, Jürgen Habermas, Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum, Paul Krugman, Neil Ferguson, Edward Said and institutions such as Royal Society, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Fraunhofer Society and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ownership shifts involved private equity transactions similar to those affecting Wolters Kluwer and RELX Group, reflecting consolidation trends among UK media companies such as Daily Mail and General Trust and Reach plc.

Publications and Products

THE produces a weekly magazine, special reports, data services and events including conferences that attract delegates from United Nations, European Commission, G20, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Russell Group, Ivy League, U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, Group of Eight (Australia), C9 League and other consortia. Its product portfolio includes thematic supplements on topics referencing work at Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts and collaborations with academic publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis, SAGE Publications and Wiley-Blackwell. Digital offerings integrate profiles of scholars from Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and datasets used by research offices at Imperial College London, University College London, King's College London, London School of Economics, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Trinity College Dublin, ETH Zurich and Polytechnic University of Milan.

World University Rankings

THE is best known for its annual World University Rankings, benchmarking institutions including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University and leading national players such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, University of Tokyo, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of Amsterdam, University of Copenhagen, Karolinska Institutet, ETH Zurich, University of Zurich and University of Munich. The rankings influence decisions at faculty recruitment offices of University of California system, SUNY, CUNY, Australian Research Council-funded universities, and policy teams within ministries such as Department for Education (UK), Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education (India) and U.S. Department of Education.

Methodology and Criticism

THE's methodology combines indicators that draw on data and peer reputation surveys referencing academics from Princeton University, Yale University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Sorbonne University, University of Tokyo and international rankings produced by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Critics from think tanks such as Brookings Institution, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and scholar-analysts at Universities UK and American Association of Universities have debated weightings for citations, industry income and international outlook, citing potential biases against institutions like Humboldt University of Berlin, Sorbonne University, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, University of São Paulo and specialized schools such as London School of Economics and Royal College of Art. Methodological discussions have been published alongside responses from statisticians at Institute for Scientific Information, Scopus (Elsevier), Clarivate Analytics and researchers at Oxford Internet Institute and Harvard Kennedy School.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

THE has passed through ownership by media groups and private equity firms analogous to transactions involving Inflexion Private Equity, Providence Equity Partners, Apax Partners and corporate investors in Pearson PLC and RELX Group. Its corporate governance has been discussed in contexts involving editors and executives formerly associated with The Times (London), The Guardian, Financial Times and management consultancies such as McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group. Strategic alliances and licensing deals have linked THE with academic publishers and data providers including Elsevier, Clarivate Analytics, Scopus (Elsevier), JSTOR and CrossRef for content and metrics distribution.

Influence and Impact on Higher Education

THE's rankings and reporting are cited by university leaders at University of Oxford, Harvard University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Melbourne and ministers at Department for Education (UK), Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education (Singapore), as well as by donors such as Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation. The publisher's influence extends to student recruitment offices managing outreach to applicants for Common App, UCAS, Ontario Universities' Application Centre and scholarship bodies like Rhodes Trust and Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. Its events convene participants from research funders including European Research Council, National Science Foundation (US), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and philanthropic organisations, shaping debates on university strategy, rankings policy and research assessment frameworks such as Research Excellence Framework and REF reforms.

Category:British magazines Category:Academic publishing