SONIPAT —India’s O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is
ranked No.1 in the world and awarded “Gold” in the inaugural Times Higher
Education (THE) Online Learning Rankings 2024, scoring highest overall among
all universities in the world in the four key areas considered for the rankings
-- resources, engagement, outcomes and environment. The rankings reflect the
teaching excellence of JGU’s online programmes and JGU’s efforts to deliver
world-class higher education.
THE Online Learning Rankings, which is the first attempt to
measure online learning on a global basis, relies on four key pillars --
resources, engagement, outcomes and environment. Unlike other THE rankings that
use rank position and scores, THE Online Learning Rankings (OLR) group
institutions into three categories -- Gold, Silver and Bronze.
The key metrics considered for measuring the level of
resources devoted to online learning include finance per student, faculty per
student and development hours per staff. To measure the level of student
engagement in online learning, THE considers interaction with staff,
collaboration with other students, convenience, ease of use, accessibility for
the disabled and number of available programmes. The outcomes for students
participating in online learning is measured through student progression rate
and student recommendation. Inclusion of students with disability, age
diversity, staff gender diversity, support staff per student, connectivity
support and other offline resources are the metrics used for assessing the
optimal environment for online learning. With an overall score of 287.7 in all
four areas combined, JGU has emerged as the top scorer among all the 120
universities which participated in the rankings. In the online rankings, JGU has
thus scored higher than any other university ranked, including Arizona State
University (Tempe, USA), University of Essex, University of Liverpool, and
University of South Australia, among others. Apart from JGU, only one other
university from India has made it to the Gold category.
Reflecting on JGU’s accomplishment in the THE Online
Learning Rankings 2024, Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global
University, said, “In 15 years, JGU has evolved into a globally recognised and
internationally ranked multidisciplinary university, setting benchmarks in
higher education in India and beyond. This prestigious recognition of JGU being
ranked No.1 globally and achieving the gold standard in online education is a
testament to our pursuit of excellence in institution building for nation
building for India.”
“Since its inception, JGU’s vision was to impart world-class
education and empower learners from all corners of the globe. This recognition
demonstrates JGU’s success in fulfilling the aspirations of people of all ages
across the world by delivering the highest quality education in the online
mode. I am confident that this remarkable accomplishment will inspire us to
push boundaries, foster innovation, and uphold the values of learning that
define JGU,” Jindal added.
Sharing his reflections on the results of the rankings,
Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global
University, said, “As time is of the essence for online learners, it is very
important for them to enrol in the best programmes that can help fulfil their
personal or professional goals. THE Online Learning Rankings rank online
programmes across the world into categories of Gold, Silver and Bronze, filling
a very important gap for learners and helping them to choose programmes that
have demonstrated excellence. It is important to recognise that for the first
time in the history and evolution of global rankings of universities, an Indian university has
been ranked Number 1 in the world. This is not only a significant achievement
for our university, but indeed a landmarking recognition for Indians as enter
into the global benchmarks of university rankings.”
“JGU’s achievement in THE Online Learning Rankings is truly
extraordinary, especially considering that JGU is just 15 years old, with our
journey into online education spanning only four years. Since starting the
online degree programmes in 2020, we have grown into a community of more than
5,000 students pursuing online and blended learning programmes across several
disciplinary areas,” he added.
Discussing the factors that propelled JGU to the top of
online learning excellence, Professor Padmanabha Ramanujam, Dean of Academic
Governance, said, “It would not have been possible for JGU to excel in
delivering online programmes catering to an incredibly diverse cohort of
learners globally without our world-class faculty, top-rated infrastructure and
collaborations with top institutions worldwide. What is worth noting is that
JGU has evolved into a multidisciplinary university with global reach within a
short span of 15 years.”
“Today, JGU stands at the forefront of digital learning,
offering a diverse range of online degree programmes designed to meet the
evolving needs of global learners. Our commitment to academic excellence,
combined with strategic partnerships with global leaders in online education
such as Coursera and upGrad ensures that our students receive world-class
education and training,” Professor Ramanujam said.
Some of JGU’s globally recognized online degree programmes
include M.A. in International Relations, Security and Strategy, M.A. in Public
Policy, and Master of Design in User Experience. In 2025, JGU will launch four
new online degree programmes – M.A. In International Accounting and Finance, BBA,
M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and M.A. in India Studies.
Additionally, JGU Online offers two specializations and 16 MOOCs (Massive Open
Online Courses) on Coursera. These certification courses cover a wide range of
topics and are designed to cater to diverse learning needs and career
aspirations. They are designed to provide focused knowledge and skills in
specific areas.
