The Dispatch
Starting from scratch
New universities need more than libraries and labs. Reputations need building too.
By Rohan Mehra
If you ask someone on the street to name a university and they attended one, they’ll probably respond with their alma mater. Otherwise, it’s likely they’ll name somewhere famous that’s consistently high in the rankings, you know the ones.
It will vary from place to place, but generally, long established and highly visible universities tend to garner more recognition than those from other regions, especially when a university is new on the scene. This raises the question; how does a rising university gain a reputation? After all, reputation is critical in the higher education sector.
Universities vary in their attempts to build reputation, depending on things like geographic considerations, academic position, aspirations and other goals and strategies they pursue. It’s common for such institutions to emphasise what makes them unique, or especially capable in some particular way. And across the board, those emerging universities that demonstrate success in building a reputation in their early years, tend to be those with a strong focus on communication. Where the promotion of their goals and accomplishments are built right into the university’s strategic policies themselves, rather than left as an afterthought.
“One advantage some newly established universities have is a greater agility when making decisions and, more often than not, a bolder attitude, allowing for the pursuit of lucrative opportunities older universities might hesitate over.."
Amina Lahbabi is Head of Corporate Communications at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Morocco, the highest-ranking university in North Africa, which opened its doors to students in 2017. UM6P aims to respond to the needs of African economies by leveraging international connections amongst other things.
“UM6P has expanded its presence internationally through campuses in France and Canada, with future openings planned in Côte d'Ivoire and the United States,” says Lahbabi. “Through these, we raise our international reputation by building bridges between Africa and the rest of the world, in particular by connecting with the international diaspora attached to Morocco. These citizens of the world are our ambassadors, helping us to spread the word about the best that Africa has to offer.”
Having satellite campuses and strong ties with alumni and other parties of interest are tried and tested strategies common to many universities. So UM6P are also keen to highlight what makes them stand out.
“A more unconventional aspect of UM6P is our learning-by-doing educational philosophy that makes concrete practice a prerequisite for students’ completion of modules,” Lahbabi says. “For this, we provide a number of living laboratories which replicate real life conditions necessary for students’ studies to accurately reflect reality.
“We also actively encourage peer-to-peer learning. For example, our ‘1337’ coding school has no professors, no classes and no academic conditions for admission.”
Such initiatives aim to attract the kind of students and researchers who seek a more holistic academic experience beyond just labs and exams. A major reason for building a good reputation to begin with is to attract such people, innovators, entrepreneurs and so on.
One advantage some newly established universities have is a greater agility when making decisions and, more often than not, a bolder attitude, allowing for the pursuit of lucrative opportunities older universities might hesitate over. Nazarbayev University (NU) in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana adopts its own ways to reach what it considers the best of the global academic talent pool.
“It is the first university in Kazakhstan to operate on principles of autonomy and academic freedom,” says Gaukhar Abeuova, Head of PR at NU. “The country's leadership recognises the importance of world-class research-based academically independent institutions for national and regional prosperity and for gaining respect on the world stage. But it is difficult for a young university to compete with universities with hundred-year histories, which have been developing their brand reputation for centuries.”
Since its inception in 2010, NU has established strategic partnerships with top universities and research institutions around the world, including the National University of Singapore, the University of Cambridge, the University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and many others. They find such collaborations nurture a network of top talent, essential to building capability and also to lodge the name firmly in the minds of key stakeholders.
“NU faculty and researchers have published 9,104 scientific publications indexed by Scopus since 2011. And 35 out of 51 Kazakhstani scientists in the top 2 percent of researchers according to Stanford University represent our university. Our job in PR is to tell audiences about these successes, thereby building the reputation of the university,” says Abeuova.
“Given our audience, one challenge for us is that we produce our content in three languages - English, Kazakh and Russian. But we also have to contend with stereotypes that European education is somehow superior. So the PR office runs activities such as meetings, memorandums, campus tours, conferences, and training with strategic partners, all of which help dispel these myths and clichés.”
Another young institution where PR is a key means to building reputation is the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan. Established in 2011, OIST was first envisioned in 2001 by Koji Omi, then Japan’s Minister of State, as a way to revitalise Okinawa through science, technology, and locally focused sustainable development.
“Our main challenges in increasing international recognition are our relatively short history, our modest size, and growing an alumni network,” says Director of Communications, Natsuki Matsumoto.
“We prioritize steady enhancement of our research, education, innovation, and outreach. Effectively communicating these achievements internationally, nationally, and locally, is key to building a strong reputation. For example, in 2022, OIST Adjunct Professor Svante Pääbo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He chose to establish a lab here due to OIST’s interdisciplinary environment, and this idea has proven highly attractive to potential recruits.”
OIST was built with a strong interdisciplinary focus from the start, and having English as its primary language helps set it apart from other universities in Japan. And of course, communicating these aspects is important, which is why OIST has a large PR team that promotes the university in a fully bilingual approach, also distinguishing it from other Japanese universities.
“It’s important to communicate what makes us unique,” says Matsumoto. “One distinct advantage we promote is our ‘high-trust funding’ model that provides five-year funding to faculty based on past performance and rigorous external evaluations, ensuring excellence and accountability. This way of working enables our scientists to focus on their research without short-term budgeting constraints.
There are no quick solutions to building a good reputation in this sector, and I believe the most effective approach is to continue the steady, strategic efforts we have been making.”
So, while some strategies for building a reputation, such as broadcasting achievements, are common to all universities, methods unique to new universities, in particular those outside the Euro-American sphere, require more novel approaches. Some emerging universities demonstrate success in rapidly gaining notoriety, climbing rankings, and securing good researchers.
The key seems to be highlighting how these institutions are innovative and differentiate themselves from others. After all, academics, students, researchers, and professors, are all people, with varying motivations and desires regarding what they want from their careers in research, and where they spend their time.