The University for Development Studies (UDS) has maintained its position as the fourth-ranked university in Ghana in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, despite changes to the ranking bands used by THE.
UDS was placed in the 1601–1800 global band in the 2027 rankings, maintaining its presence among Ghanaian universities recognised in the global assessment.
The university had been placed in the 1501+ band in the 2026 rankings, but said the change in its 2027 band should not be interpreted as a direct year-on-year decline because THE revised its lower ranking bands for the latest edition.
The THE World University Rankings assess universities across five broad areas: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry and International Outlook.
UDS recorded notable performances in Teaching and International Outlook, areas that reflect the university’s academic environment and its engagement with international students, scholars, institutions and research networks.
The university said the latest ranking also points to areas requiring further attention, particularly research productivity and impact, research funding, innovation, industry partnerships and knowledge transfer.
According to UDS, the ranking should therefore be viewed both as recognition of progress and a motivation to sustain efforts to strengthen its academic and research profile.
The university said it would continue to focus on quality teaching, impactful research, stronger international partnerships and deeper engagement with industry and communities.
The result is particularly significant for UDS given its distinctive mandate of combining teaching and research with practical community engagement, particularly in northern Ghana and beyond.
Management commended the Governing Council, faculty, staff, students, alumni, research collaborators and development partners for their contributions to the university’s national and international profile.
UDS said it would continue to strengthen its research environment, increase high-quality scholarly output, expand postgraduate education, attract competitive research funding and deepen international and industry partnerships.
The university also congratulated all Ghanaian institutions represented in the 2027 THE rankings, describing their participation as contributing to the growing global visibility of Ghanaian higher education.
For UDS, the 2027 ranking represents both recognition of progress and a call for sustained effort as it pursues its vision of becoming a world-class centre of excellence in teaching, research and community engagement.’
Source: www.kumasimail.com
