University also ranks 16th in the region and is 2nd among private in Brazil for Latin American ranking
For the Vice President of Academic Affairs, professor Mágda Cunha, the ranking is of great relevance for PUCRS since its indicators can attest its academic potential. “We value external evaluations very highly because they scale the performance of institutions using very strict criteria. For PUCRS, its highly qualified teaching staff is a response to the recognition of the academic efforts that have been made. It also shows that the University has been investing in faculty development”, says she.
Other factors that have contributed to this important recognition was the implementation of the new business model at PUCRS, which has been divided into schools since 2015. This is a consequence of the constant pursuit for academic excellence with an eye to interdisciplinarity, innovation and internationalization. Besides, the institution provides outstanding facilities to its students, faculty and professors, which is very favorable for the provision of significant learning experiences.
Latin American
The Times Higher Education (THE) – Latin American University Rankings 2017 ranks PUCRS as the 16th best university in Latin America and, again, as the 2nd best private university in Brazil. The list came out on Jul 20. The institution climbed seven positions when compared to the ranking of 2016, as it placed 23rd. In the national scenario, PUCRS stays atop among the private universities in the south of Brazil, and is the only one from Rio Grande do Sul in the top 50.
Overall, 81 universities from the continent have been evaluated by Times Higher Education Latin America. In calculating the top universities in the region, the same performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings are used, but were adapted to the characteristics of the institutions of the region. Overall, 13 performance indicators are used for teaching (learning environment), research (volume and reputation), citations (research influence), knowledge transfer and internationalization (students, professors and research).
This year’s results have shown that, although Brazil retains its influence in Latin America with 32 institutions claiming their positions in the list, at least 20 universities have dropped places.
The Times Higher Education is one of the most important international rankings and is mainly intended to show the impact of research carried out in the institutions in terms of database citations.
PUCRS in THE Latin America University Rankings 2017:
16th in Latin America
10th in Brazil (8 of which are public)
2nd among private universities in Brazil
1st among private universities in the south of Brazil
The only institution from Rio Grande do Sul in the top 50 (out of 81 institutions).
Check the complete list: THE
QS World University Ranking 2018
PUCRS is the only private institution of the south of Brazil to be in the QS World University Ranking 2018, published in June. It ranks 3rdamong the private universities of Brazil and 13th among all institutions, including the public ones. The list, which is published every year by British company QS features more than 950 institution all over the world and uses five performance indicators: academic reputation (40% of final score), employer reputation (10% of final score), faculty/student ratio (20% of final score), citations per faculty (20% of final score) and internationalization (10% of final score).
Research, health care and social responsibility
Overall, the university relies on more than 570 research structures (among groups, multidisciplinary teams, laboratories, centers and research institutes), that have been working on more than 2,000 research projects; more than 170 of such projects are being developed with international partners. Other relevant features include the PUCRS Science and Technology Park (Tecnopuc), three-times recognized as Brazil’s best park; the Ir. José Otão Main Library, one of the most modern ones in Latin Ameeica; and the Science and Technology Museum, which is also a national and international reference. For health care, the São Lucas Hospital deserves attention, as it is one of the largest ones in the State, and the Brain Institute of RS, which brings together research and cutting-edge technology in the area of neuroscience. For extension, PUCRS more than 425,000 people were serviced in 2016, in the areas of Education, Health, Social Assistance, Citizenship, Culture, among others, as shown in the Social Report.
