DELSU improves in national, global rankings

TRACKING___The Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, has improved in the ranking of universities in the country and globally. According to the ranking of 30,000 universities in 200 countries released recently by the Ranking Web or Webometrics, the university made a great leap from 78th position in Nigeria to 38th.

It also moved from 19th position among state universities to seventh. This was contained in a press release by the Acting Director of Ceremonials, Information and Public Relations, Dr Ben Nwanne.

Expectedly, the university community is excited about the significant improvements in the ratings of DELSU, attributing it to the enlightened and committed leadership which the Vice Chancellor, Prof Andy Egwunyenga, has provided the university since he assumed office.

Reacting to the development, a former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration. Prof. C.P. Aloamaka, said: “This achievement is not surprising. It is not enough to know what to do, but it is more rewarding to carry people along in working towards your goal. This has earned DELSU great success”.

In another congratulatory message, Prof. John Igwe, one of the contenders for the highly coveted post of VC in the last contest observed: “Our VC, you are doing great. The next leap will revolve around visibility, strong broadbrand internet connectivity”.

Responding to the congratulatory messages, Prof Egwunyenga who has set a high standard in scholarship, fairness and due process, told the academic community that they should not rest on their oars, insisting that:“There is still a lot of work to do to further this modest leap.

After robust web presence, we need to increase research output and learning infrastructure, equip libraries, laboratories and workshops and develop linkages with other universities around the world”.

Information from its website indicates that Webometrics ranking of world universities is an initiative of Cybermetrics lab, the public research body in Spain.

It explained its methodology and objectives of the rankings “The ranking web is not a ranking of websites of Universities. It is a ranking of universities.

It uses both webometrics (all missions) and bibliometric (research missions) indicators”.
Stating further that the primary objective of the ranking web is to promote open access to the knowledge generated by the university.

According to the ranking body, “The ranking web or webometrics is the largest academic ranking of higher education institutions, offering every six months, an independent, objective free, open scientific exercise for providing reliable, multidimensional, updated and useful information about the performance of universities all over the world”.