Clark University Ranked #15 In World For Development Studies

WORCESTER, MA - From Clark University: Clark University ranks number 15 in the world for development studies, based on academic reputation, according to the newest “QS World University Rankings by Subject.” The ranking, which can be generated on the interactive website by manually selecting “Academic Reputation” under “Rankings Indicators,” places Clark in the same company as global leaders such as University of Sussex and Australian National University.

This year, Clark earned its highest score on the QS Rankings since they were first compiled in 2004; last year the index ranked Clark at number 21.

To compile their 2018 Rankings by Subject, QS surveyed over 75,000 academics worldwide, and asked them “to identify institutions they consider to be excellent for teaching and research in the discipline.” The rankings are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact (to read the full methodology, visit the website).

“We are in really outstanding company,” said Edward Carr, professor and director of Clark’s International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) Department. “There are amazing programs on this list and we’re thrilled to be ranked competitively among them.”

According to Professor Carr, a longstanding collaborative effort between Clark’s Geography and IDCE departments has facilitated a rigorous and critical training of development studies students. Clark’s Graduate School of Geography is home to the nation’s oldest, sustained doctoral program in the field of geography. Its faculty and students have contributed to development studies research for decades.

James Murphy, professor of geography and editor-in-chief of Economic Geography, works at the intersection between geography and development.

“There’s a crisis of creativity in mainstream development,” said Professor Murphy. “What Clark does is cultivate students who want to engage in a different way of approaching these problems.”

Clark University uses a transdisciplinary model of study to address global challenges. Faculty in the IDCE Department recently re-designed the curriculum to allow undergraduate and graduate students to approach development from a variety of perspectives; students select a thematic focal area and add concentrations that align with the department’s areas of expertise.

“The QS ranking underscores the research strength of Clark’s highly respected faculty, including Professors Richard Peet and Tony A. Bebbington, whose articles are not only published in top academic journals, but are heavily cited by scholars worldwide,” said Professor Carr. “It’s very rewarding to see a peer-to-peer index such as this recognize our research initiatives and the impact our faculty have across the globe.”

The QS World University Rankings is an annual publication that ranks institutions worldwide on excellence in teaching and research in various disciplines.

Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university addressing natural, social and human imperatives from local to global scales. Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark’s pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences. Clark’s faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to complex challenges in the natural sciences, psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University’s motto: Challenge Convention. Change Our World.

Photo courtesy of Clark University