OECD New Method of University Ranking

Times Higher Education Supplement & Shanghai Jiaotong University Ranking have attracted their fair share of attention, especially with the dropping of universities from Malaysia, like Universiti Malaya, UPM, UKM, USM etc.

Thanks to Education Malaysia for the write up of this article by Economist on OECD plan to come out with a new method to rank universities.

Would the ranking be better? Would it capture on "how much knowledge is really being imparted", and my personal opinion, is whether the amount of knowledge being imparted is the essence of ranking?

What is the purpose of a university education? What are the things that we bring out from university? Why we go university?

Is it because of paper chase? Is it because of job demand? Is it because we want the experience in university? Is it because we want to rely on our parents for a few more years for money? Is it because we are really passionate about the knowledge? Is it because university is the best way to gain knowledge? Is it because everyone is going to university? Is it because with knowledge from university, we would function well after university days?

Tons of questions above. Does university really serves its function? Do we really need to go university?

On job demand, would those 4 years spent on-the-job be better training?

On experience in university, would spend 1 year on some sort of sabbatical program/camps help us gain more experience?

On relying on parents, why don't we just at home at relaxing?

On passion for knowledge and university being best way to gain knowledge, how about Wikipedia and just merely Google it? How about those Open Courseware by MIT ?

Is it because everyone is going to university? Perhaps that could be the answer many gives... And perhaps go there to make friends?

Would university education be necessary to prepare us for career after university? Or high school education would be sufficient? Or for that matter, do we even need high school education?

Currently, people spend a few years of their precious life, with most spending many thousands on it, just go get a university education. Is it worth it?

Am hoping to get the readers to think through and share your thoughts.