This lens assesses how institutions partner in research 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.
Weight of the metrics in Knowledge Exchange:
| Code | Metric | Metric Weight |
| KE1 | Knowledge Exchange: Progress / Dissemination | 6% |
| KE2 | Outreach and Community Engagement | 1% |
| KE3 | Staff perception | 2% |
| KE4 | Policy Citations (Social) | 1% |
Knowledge Exchange: Progress / Dissemination
Following the OECD's list of locations which receive an official development assistance (ODA), we use the following two data points, each with its own score.
| Sub metric | Description | Scoring |
| KE1.1 |
KE1.1. Research Progress Institutions from ODA countries / territories (Least Developed, Other Low Income, Lower Middle Income and Upper Middle Income) are evaluated with regards to knowledge exchange with non-ODA countries/territories. This recognizes 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. |
As per IRN methodology*. Institutions from Least Developed and Other Low Income countries / territories are extra rewarded, taking into account harder circumstances in which they reside. *no requirements on the volume of joint research publications and the number of their incoming citations. |
| KE1.2 |
KE1.2. Research Dissemination Institutions from non-ODA locations are evaluated with regards to knowledge exchange with ODA countries/territories. This recognizes 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. |
As per IRN methodology*. Institutions from non-ODA countries / territories are extra rewarded for knowledge exchange with Least Developed and Other Low Income countries/territories. *no requirements on the volume of joint research publications and the number of their incoming citations. |
KE2 Outreach and Community Engagement
| Sub metric | Description | Scoring |
| KE2.1 | Does the institution offer, manage or deliver outreach projects (education, health, information services, reading, community engagement, tutorials) for the local community? | 0 or 100, subject to validation by QS. |
KE3 Staff Perception
| Sub metric | Description | Scoring |
| KE3 |
In our academic survey, we ask participants to rate their agreement with the statement: "My university is committed to making a positive impact on society." Responses are collected on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). |
An average score is calculated for each institution, ranging from 1 to 5. To ensure accurate assessments, scores are adjusted using a sliding scale when the number of responses is insufficient. Institutions with a negligible responses rate are assigned a minimum score based on their country/territory. Later on the figures are z-scored and scaled between 0 and 100. |
KE4 Policy Citations (Social)
| Sub metric | Description | Scoring |
| KE4.1 |
Aggregation of the Policy Citation scores per corresponding SDGs: SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good health & Wellbeing), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation), SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). |
Policy Citation scores per SDG are produced using this methodology and then averaged. |
