The new Tilburg University Economics Schools Research Ranking, published on 17 June, placed the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg 91 worldwide.
Måns Söderbom, Head of Department, reflects on the result:
– First of all, rankings should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. They are based on pretty crude and noisy data, and different ranking methodologies can result in very different outcomes. Still, I believe rankings do tell us something about how our research output compares to that of other economics departments. And rankings certainly matter for our international reputation, which in turn matters for issues that we really care about, such as our attractiveness to international researchers and students.
– Am I pleased with a ranking of 91? Looking at the departments that are ranked higher than us, and also keeping in mind that several of our 'competitors' are not in the top 100, I would say this outcome is both reasonably fair and encouraging. The hope, of course, is that we will climb in the rankings in the near future. And I think it is realistic to believe that we will, says Måns Söderbom.
The Tilburg ranking is based on publications in 35 leading international journals for the period 2011 to 2015. Gothenburg is ranked second in Sweden and fourth in Scandinavia.
More information about the Tilburg ranking: https://econtop.uvt.nl/rankinglist.php