Faculty professional development as a determinant of success in international university rankings

Annotatsiya

International university rankings are often discussed in terms of metrics and methodologies, yet the academic workforce that produces those metrics receives comparatively little analytical attention. This article offers a narrative review of the literature on faculty professional development and university rankings, arguing that the continuous professional development of academic staff is a primary, though frequently underestimated, determinant of an institution’s success in international rankings. Examining the methodologies of the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the article shows that the majority of ranking weight in each system is shaped, directly or indirectly, by faculty quality, productivity and reputation. It then synthesises evidence on how faculty professional development operates through four interconnected pathways, teaching quality, research productivity, academic reputation, and quality culture and leadership, each of which feeds ranking-relevant outcomes. The review concludes that institutions seeking durable ranking improvement should treat investment in their academic staff not as an administrative cost but as the central engine of competitiveness, while remaining alert to the limitations of indicator-driven approaches to academic work.