This lens assesses how institutions partner in research and with industry to share knowledge and spur educational growth. In particular, it acknowledges the necessity of the global north and global south (more exact definitions below) to come together as research partners, helping to improve academic standards around the globe, as well as the benefits to shared resource, knowledge and skills that this produces.
The following two metrics are aggregated to produce the final score.
Weight of the metrics in Knowledge Exchange:
| Metric | Weight (In the lens / Overall) |
| Knowledge Exchange: Progress / Dissemination | 80% / 8% |
| Research Partnerships with Employers | 20% / 2% |
Knowledge Exchange: Progress / Dissemination
Following the OECD's list of locations which receive an official development assistance (ODA), we use the following classification of locations.
- ODA locations: Least Developed, Other Low Income, Lower Middle Income and Upper Middle Income. Institutions from ODA locations are to be scored in "Knowledge Exchange: Progress" metric for knowledge exchange with non-ODA locations. This recognises the efforts made by institutions in less developed nations to improve their local and regional academic standards, to model against more established research partners, and ultimately to benefit the students and societies they serve.
- Non-ODA locations. Institutions from non-ODA locations are to be scored in "Knowledge Exchange: Dissemination" metric for knowledge exchange with ODA locations. This recognises the efforts made by these institutions to share best practice, academic expertise, access to resource and skill (e.g. laboratories, funding) and, ultimately, to improve global educational standards.
This metric is designed using our widely adopted research-based International Research Network (IRN) Index, however with no requirements on the volume of joint research publications and the number of their incoming citations.
Institutions from Least Developed and Other Low Income locations are extra rewarded in the "Knowledge Exchange: Progress" metric, taking into account harder circumstances in which they reside. Similarly, institutions from non-ODA locations are extra rewarded in the "Knowledge Exchange: Dissemination" metric for knowledge exchange with Least Developed and Other Low Income locations.
Research Partnerships with Employers
This is yet another well-established metric, previously widely used in QS Graduate Employability Rankings (see here). It rewards institutions who have active research partnerships with companies in the Forbes 2000 list.