The World University Rankings are compiled using a mixture of quantitative indicators and informed opinion. What makes a world-class university? When Times Higher Education asked the leaders of top-ranked institutions this question last year, one response stood out for its inspirational qualities. Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, said that his institution was "driven by a singular focus on the value of open, rigorous and intense inquiry. Everything about the university that we recognise as distinctive flows from this."..
