SA universities drop in rankings
South African universities have failed to gain a place in the QS University Ranking for BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. The ranking compares the top 400 institutions in the five major emerging national economies. The ranking was published shortly after the Chinese Parliament ratified the creation of the BRICS Development Bank. The agreement had already been ratified in India and Russia. The New Development Bank, also known as the BRICS Bank, will finance infrastructure and development projects in BRICS countries, which are likely to include higher education related investments to further increase the global competitiveness of these economies.
SA slips in ICT rankings
South Africa has fallen even further in the global ICT readiness stakes, according to the 2015 edition of The Global Information Technology released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The country fell from a dismal number 70 out of 143 countries to 75 in the 2015 Networked Readiness Index. Although South Africa performed well in its policy and regulatory framework score, ranked at number 24, other areas didn’t perform so well. South Africa was ranked 55 for its business and innovation environment; 85 for its infrastructure; 107 for affordability; 95 in terms of skills; 68 for individual usage; 34 for business usage; 105 for government usage; 58 for economic impact; and 110 for social impact.