Head of Education for Southern Africa at UNESCO’s Harare office, Zimbabwe, Dr. Peter J. Wells, has warned that African universities risk losing focus on their core mission by chasing global league table rankings.
Speaking at a webinar organized by Adonis and Abbey Publishers to mark its 23rd anniversary under the theme Africa in the World Universities Ranking, Wells argued that league tables provide a misleading snapshot of a university’s true value. “Not all institutions are meant to be ranked, and excellence goes far beyond league tables,” he said.
He emphasised that universities operate in vastly different national, provincial, and local contexts, each serving unique societal and educational roles.
The former Chief of Global Higher Education at UNESCO in Paris cautioned that forcing a one-size-fits-all ranking approach can divert attention and resources from meaningful initiatives, undermining core missions.
“Rankings push institutions into unnecessary competition that is not the goal,” he added, urging universities to prioritize innovation, real-world impact, and societal development over mere scorecards.
The UNESCO official’s remarks also underscore the organization’s ongoing efforts to promote evaluation systems that reflect the broader value of higher education, rather than just global positioning.
