Universities were evaluated based on their reputation and field research
About 50 foreign higher education institutions evaluated by ranking produced by the US News and World Report publisher last October, which ranks the world's best universities in Agricultural Sciences, indicated important result to the University of São Paulo (USP). In the survey, USP was appointed 5th place. According to the ranking, the activities considered in this area include horticulture, food science and nutrition, dairy products and agronomy.
Founded in 1933 as a weekly newspaper, the US News and World Report, based in the United States, also produces the Best Global Universities, which ranks the top 500 universities in the world. In this overall ranking of universities, which considers 10 indicators that measure the performance of academic research and its global and regional reputations, USP was ranked 77th among the best higher education institutions in the world and the first in Latin America.
Considering the emphasis that Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ) has in the area of Agricultural Sciences, José Vicente Caixeta Filho, ESALQ’s dean, believes that the 5th place owes much to the work that the school has been carrying throughout its 113 years. “Initially, we should consider important indicators that led USP/ESALQ to reach this level. For example, the three-year evaluation of graduate programs, by Capes, the stars obtained by the undergraduate programs in the Student Guide, most of them very well evaluated and prized, and agriculture itself that, once again, had an important contribution to justify such USP position internationally”.
Among other important factors, Caixeta credited, to that recognition, the work being developed superbly by the faculty and staff of the institution in the capacitation of human resources; the internationalization of the university, through agreements, allows undergraduate and graduate students to study in international higher education institutions, bringing, in return, foreign students to our institution; the direct approach of ESALQ with society in carrying out extension work; the advanced research laboratories with an increasingly diverse range of users, not necessarily only about agriculture; the leading positions of the alumni into the labor market; the international publications; the academic environment that enables richer discussions when gathering students from several programs in a single field; the concern over sustainability and awareness to promote agricultural development respecting the environment.
“The evaluation carried out by U.S. News highlights USP position at 77, and the first one in Latin America. I think this has occurred taking into account a number of factors, daily assessments and the agriculture, once again, had a significant contribution to justify this result. For a long time we have not had news of this dimension – USP, and ESALQ in particular, fifth best in the world, evaluated by a prestigious ranking like this -, this is a source of great pride for the university as a whole”, concluded the dean.
Written by: Alicia Nascimento
Translated by: Tobias de Paula Lima Souza
Proofread by: Marisa Aparecida B. Regitano d'Arce
Photo by: Gerhard Waller
Acom (ESALQ’s Office of Communications)
November 14th, 2014
