THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio

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Bespoke data-driven insights and expert guidance THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio INTRODUCTION

For 50 years, Times Higher Education (THE) has been a leading global authority in higher education around the world through SECTION 01 powerful insights, analysis and news. Since launching the World “THERE IS NO WORLD THE CONSULTANCY 04 University Rankings in 2004, THE has collected more than 9 million SECTION 02 DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE individual datapoints from 3,500+ universities in over 100 countries ANALYSIS 06

and regions, creating an unrivalled proprietary dataset and EDUCATION, BUT TIMES SECTION 03 establishing THE as a world leader in higher education analytics. HIGHER EDUCATION IS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 08 SECTION 04 STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTION Coupled with a website reach of more than 30 million annual users, DOING A REAL SERVICE ANALYSIS 10 THE is best-placed to support you with understanding and achieving TO UNIVERSITIES BY SECTION 05 your strategic goals. ACADEMIC REPUTATION DEVELOPING DEFINITIONS ANALYSIS 12 Trusted by governments, higher education institutions and SECTION 06 AND DATA THAT CAN BE STRATEGY ANALYSIS 14 organisations, our solutions have been specifically developed SECTION 07 to inform, measure and support your strategic and tactical goals, USED FOR COMPARISON DIGITAL BRAND DIAGNOSTIC 16 from data benchmarking to marketing and recruitment, AND UNDERSTANDING.” SECTION 08 ACADEMIC NETWORK both domestically and on the world stage. ANALYSIS 18 LYDIA SNOVER Director of institutional research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This is product pack 4 of 4 covering THE’s Consultancy Services. You can find information relating to the rest of our solutions through these other three product packs: Hiring, Branding and Data

0102 0203 SECTION 01 THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio SECTION 01 STRATEGIC Our consultancy practice SOLUTION harnesses THE’s strong DESIGN network in the global higher education sector, combining engagement of global stakeholders within our analyses

IMPLE- DISCUSSION IDEATION ANALYSIS MENTATION

THE THE’s Consultancy team Project design follows The subsequent analysis To support the begin our engagement a process of collaborative phase of all projects involves implementation of project with clients by gaining a ideation. Bringing together combining the skills of THE’s outcomes, we deliver full understanding of their THE industry experts to expert consultants and data our strategic solutions in CONSULTANCY strategic priorities, and how produce strategic solutions scientists, working with millions formats most accessible to their specific project goals linking together project of proprietary data and primary highest level leadership, and Supporting global higher education support high level objectives. outcomes and client data sources. operational delivery teams, to objectives. ensure recommendations are leaders to achieve sustainable embedded across all crucial stakeholder audiences. growth and strategic impact. WHAT WE DO: THE Consultancy provides solutions. Our consultancy practice INSTITUTIONAL STAKEHOLDER strategic, data-driven harnesses THE’s strong network RANKINGS COMPETITOR INTERNATIONALISATION in the global higher education PERCEPTIONS guidance to universities and PERFORMANCE STRATEGY governments globally. Building sector, combining engagement ANALYSIS ANALYSIS on our vast sector expertise of global stakeholders within our ANALYSIS and long history, we support analyses. Offering both short-term our partners to build effective and long-term solutions, our expert and sustainable strategies consultants diagnose areas of BRAND RESEARCH aligned to their unique mission. strength, and provide evidence- GLOBAL STRATEGY Understanding that all based guidance on implementation organisations are unique, we of recommendations for ACADEMIC HEALTH NETWORK Elizabeth Shepherd REPUTATION ANALYSIS EVALUATION combine proprietary and primary improvement. Managing Director ANALYSIS data to design customised – THE Consultancy CHECK

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The consultancy engagement included an in-depth RESULTING presentation of the WUR RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the discussion during the consultancy session, as well as methodology to explain why analysis of the data collected, the the university didn’t meet the resulting recommendations included:  Continue developing the eligibility criteria at the time university’s doctoral degree programmes to increase doctoral student numbers  Monitor the quantity and METRICS ANALYSED THE METRICS WE quality of publications BY THE CONSULTANCY ANALYSED WERE: by subject area to better The report produced for the understand why its research  client provided a simulation of Teaching environment output lagged behind the university’s performance  Research competitors in some cases  in the WUR, benchmarking its Citations  Encourage academics simulated performance against  Industry income to develop external other universities that were  International outlook collaborations and track the already included in the ranking.  Reputation impact of these collaborations The consultancy engagement  Subject rankings  included an in-depth presentation Adopt consistent naming  of the WUR methodology to Performance in THE conventions across all of its explain why the university didn’t Impact Rankings research output CASE STUDY: meet the eligibility criteria at INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW the time. We then carried out a THE Consultancy worked with detailed discussion of the client’s a private university in Guayaquil, simulated performance in each of PERFORMANCE Ecuador, to assess its institutional the WUR metrics, relative to its performance. The university has comparator institutions. a mission to become a centre of ANALYSIS teaching, research and community engagement, creating a learning An in-depth analysis of institutional environment that will help to advance Ecuador’s development. or subject level performance in The client sought THE’s consultancy service to better THE’s suite of global rankings. understand its institutional performance, with a view to entering the THE World University Rankings (WUR) in the future. METRICS ANALYSED

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METRICS ANALYSED BRAND Specifically, THE Consultancy BY THE CONSULTANCY analysed the following brand The report produced for the CHARACTERISTICS characteristics: COMPETITIVE client compared its performance ANALYSED  with similar institutions, chosen Academic excellence  as a broadly representative Research excellence ANALYSIS sample of UK providers. The  Supportiveness Competitor analysis across various report highlighted the best-in-  Social opportunities class institution for each brand  Employability characteristics, utilising THE’s characteristic the client chose to 11  Flexibility focus on, as well as ranking the  Inclusivity client in relation to its competitors.  Innovation extensive wealth of data, including The narrative of the report  Lifelong learning focused on the competitors  academic and research excellence, identified by the institution, Value for money however other best-in-class  Heritage inclusivity, internationalisation, examples were also identified and included in the chapter summaries, RESULTING and employability. providing a comprehensive RECOMMENDATIONS overview of the sector. COMPARATOR THE Consultancy found that The data used to make INSTITUTIONS the institution performed well for these assessments comprised employability, academic excellence CASE STUDY: a combination of student ANALYSED and research excellence, but OVERVIEW perceptions, perceptions of compared less favourably for THE Consultancy worked with academics, data sourced from the brand characteristics of a leading provider of flexible and national statistics, and metrics supportiveness and social innovative distance learning, from Times Higher Education’s opportunities. We identified best- which operates in the UK and University Impact Rankings and in-class institutions for these internationally. The institution’s World University Rankings. 18 characteristics, both from the list award-winning distance teaching of providers the client chose to credentials have resulted in focus on and others operating in more than 2 million students the market. Our analysis enabled receiving an education that would Our analysis enabled the the institution to fully develop their otherwise be denied to them at brand identity and market itself campus-based universities. to key international and domestic With a mission to transform lives institution to fully develop stakeholder audiences. through education and reduce barriers to entry, the client sought their brand identity and THE’s consultancy service to understand how it could best market itself to key achieve this aim, including the measures it could take to do international and domestic so, and the ways in which its competitors were also working stakeholder audiences towards similar goals.

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We identified an opportunity The survey also presented key messaging and trialled positioning for the client to differentiate statements for future use. THE Consultancy analysed survey by improving its engagement responses to reveal insights about With a mission to be a university the client and its competitor that is the pride of Taiwan, the universities, specifically addressing: client sought THE’s consultancy with industry  Awareness STAKEHOLDER service to better understand how  it is perceived by academics Perceptions  around the world and the International collaboration PERCEPTION measures it could take to better  Research profiles align its reputation with its brand identity and goals. RESULTING ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS Insights into the perceptions METRICS ANALYSED THE Consultancy found that BY THE CONSULTANCY awareness of research-led The report produced for the institutions in Taiwan is relatively of stakeholders that are strategically client gathered insights from an low outside the Asia-Pacific international academic audience region. Awareness of the client important to your institution, including in order to build a profile of was significantly lower than other stakeholder perceptions. THE research-led institutions in Taiwan internal and external stakeholders. Consultancy produced a bespoke and international competitors, but academic reputation survey, higher amongst respondents in receiving responses from 250 leadership roles. participants in more than 20 Across the audience surveyed, countries and a broad range of the study found that perceptions of academic fields. research-led institutions in Taiwan CASE STUDY: The survey asked: THE’S BESPOKE ACADEMIC were generally positive. Such institutions had strong reputations  OVERVIEW The level of awareness REPUTATION SURVEY: for academic excellence, THE Consultancy worked with a of research institutions conducting impactful research and public research university based in Taiwan? Of [the client]? being internationally collaborative. in Taiwan to assess perception  The perceptions of research However, perceptions of the client of the institution amongst key institutions in Taiwan? Of 252 RESPONDENTS in these areas were generally lower, stakeholder audiences. [the client]? suggesting that it could improve The institution is one of the best  The potential level of interest awareness and differentiate its comprehensive universities in the in collaboration? mission from competitors. We country and a leader in promoting  The potential barriers identified an opportunity for the collaboration between academia to collaboration? client to differentiate by improving and industry. It has consistently its engagement with industry. been ranked as one of the top Our recommendations included universities in Asia. identifying an opportunity for the client to establish itself as an ideal research partner in the country, making use of factors such as common areas of research focus and reputation 3COUNTRIES for academic excellence. 01010 2 01102 SECTION 05 THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio THE CONSULTANCY Services Portfolio SECTION 05

 The reputation of South By showcasing high-quality Korean universities in research at relevant conferences, the context of top global it was suggested the client could institutions create vital research networks and The university  The client’s performance partnerships, which could further in the THE Academic enhance its academic reputation. hoped to build Reputation Survey, To increase its international including benchmarking of profile, our recommendations a reputation for comparator institutions included increasing interactions with international faculty, both  Detailed analysis of the in terms of recruitment and quality based client’s performance in collaboration on research teaching and research projects. Focusing on the on excellence reputation metrics for development of academic business and economics programmes and recruiting in teaching,  Benchmarking of the client international students was also research and and comparator institutions recommended. Finally, the in business and economics university should bring awareness CASE STUDY:  service to The relationship between to its research excellence through ACADEMIC OVERVIEW reputation and other an effective branding, marketing, THE Consultancy worked with Korean society metrics in the THE World communications and public a private research university University Rankings relations strategy. REPUTATION based in Seoul, South Korea. The university hoped to build a METRICS ANALYSED RESULTING reputation for quality based on BY THE CONSULTANCY RECOMMENDATIONS ANALYSIS excellence in teaching, research The report produced for the client Based on the findings of the and service to Korean society. The included analysis of a range of report and our discussion with An examination of academic client sought THE’s consultancy metrics, all of which related to the client, we made a number of service to better understand its measurements of the university’s recommendations to support the reputation via analysis of evidence academic reputation and the ways academic reputation. The metrics university in achieving its goals. it could be improved. we analysed were: These recommendations fell into collected from researchers  two wider categories: quality of The client’s performance in research and internationalisation. globally participating in THE’s business and economics, One of the steps we highlighting the gaps that recommended to support influence reputation improved research output was Academic Reputation Survey.  THE Academic Reputation prioritising high-quality journals Survey’s methodology, when publishing research. including the mechanics of Attracting and retaining talent converting votes into scores was also identified as a priority.  Global and regional data insights, trends and voting patterns in South Korea METRICS ANALYSED

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METRICS ANALYSED The student survey focused on: RESULTING Moving forward, we suggested BY THE CONSULTANCY RECOMMENDATIONS that the client should:  Awareness of, and THE Consultancy carried out a THE Consultancy’s audit of the  STRATEGY four-part, mixed methodological perceptions of progress client’s 2016-20 roadmap found Prioritise subject-level strategy review and primary data towards, the 5/100 goals that the main challenges it faced research strategy for 2021-30   collection process in order to Awareness and perceptions related to citations, publications Use strategic planning as an ANALYSIS present a comprehensive audit of of the client’s 2016-20 and research income. instrument for change Support to evaluate your current the university’s strategy. The report roadmap Our consultation with the  Align its research strategy produced for the client gathered  The student experience university’s leadership team found with global priorities institutional strategy via engagement insights from the institution’s past (internationalism and that it had been challenging to and base in competitive and current roadmaps, as well independent learning) ensure consistent understanding landscape as consulting with the leadership  Main reasons for choosing of key strategic goals and targets  Focus on staff with key internal decision makers team, staff and students to assess to study with the client internally. The staff and student communications during the feasibility of its strategy. surveys found that awareness the change management to shape and support future direction. The consultation with the of the previous roadmap was process, with incentives university’s leadership team included inconsistent and that this was an and change management the following discussion areas: area for future improvement. processes in place  Global competitiveness  5/100 roadmap CASE STUDY:  Strategy communication  Strategy implementation The client sought THE’s OVERVIEW  Looking forward THE Consultancy worked with a  Future implementation consultancy service to better multidisciplinary research-orientated  university based in Moscow, Russia, Lessons learnt understand how it is perceived to assess its strategy, particularly The staff survey focused on: in relation to the institution’s 504 internationalisation strategy.  Awareness of, and by non-Russian academic RESPONDENTS While the university was perceptions of progress TO STAFF SURVEY considered one of the best in towards, the 5/100 goals audiences the country, it had comparatively  Awareness and perceptions limited international reach. The of the client’s 2016-20 client sought THE’s consultancy roadmap service to better understand  Priorities for the next how it is perceived by non- roadmap/strategy Russian academic audiences  Identifying the client’s It had been challenging to and gain recommendations 2395 main competitors RESPONDENTS on how it could develop its ensure consistent internationalisation strategy. TO STUDENT understanding of key strategic SURVEY goals and targets internally

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RESULTING RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the findings of the report, we made a number of recommendations to help the By developing a university better understand how to improve its digital brand performance. We found that the client was not comprehensive social media utilising YouTube as much as its competitors, meaning this platform strategy, the university could contributed a low proportion of overall social media traffic. By  Learn from competitor best target a variety of audiences developing a comprehensive social practice when delivering media strategy, the university DIGITAL website and social media could target a variety of audiences content. Which channels with dynamic, frequently updated work best and why? video content that would quickly  BRAND Understand the lead improve social media penetration. generation tools used by The university would benefit The client’s pay-per-click (PPC) competitor universities usage was also low compared DIAGNOSTIC  Observe best practice from working with an SEO with competitors both in Ecuador in application of micro- and internationally. A targeted PPC The brand diagnostic process will and macro-conversions strategy could support future social to support prospective specialist to increase organic media campaigns. give valuable insights into your overall students’ application Our content analysis found that  SWOT analysis and traffic and content engagement the university would benefit from brand performance, considering recommendations developing an audience-focused content strategy, which would different aspects of your brand The digital brand audit identify specific audiences to target, presented analysis within the link keywords and outline the presence, including awareness, following categorie s: effective use of social media, video and other types of dynamic content  Traffic analysis to increase engagement. Improved reputation and positioning.  Social penetration search engine optimisation (SEO)  Social analysis could also generate financial METRICS ANALYSED  Pay-per-click (PPC) returns; the university would CASE STUDY: BY THE CONSULTANCY  benefit from working with an SEO The report produced for the client Content analysis OVERVIEW  specialist to increase organic traffic included analysis of 70 digital Search engine optimisation THE Consultancy worked with and content engagement. Finally, metrics, presented in comparison (SEO) a private university in Guayaquil, the client should implement a with regional and global competitors Ecuador, to assess its digital micro/macro conversion strategy chosen by the university. brand assets. The university has specifically tailored to its target THE Consultancy used the a mission to become a centre of students’ needs. teaching, research and community data collected to achieve the engagement, creating a learning following aims: environment that will help to  Quantify the client’s digital DIGITAL METRICS ANALYSED advance Ecuador’s development. presence targeted at The client sought THE’s prospective student and consultancy service to better academic audiences understand the performance 70  Diagnose strengths and of its online content, including weaknesses of the client’s its website and social media digital content, analysed in 112 12,074 presence, focused on supporting comparison with its regional the recruitment of future students, CLIENT ARTICLES ANALYSED COMPETITOR ARTICLES ANALYSED and global competitors in comparison with its domestic competitors.

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GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PURDUE UNIVERSITY WEST LAFAYETTE

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY The first phase of the project involved identifying the CONNECTIONS: 9 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY university’s top five subject areas, which were used to map and The client visualise its international research NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY partnership network. Phase two of the project involved surveying IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON sought THE’s the university’s international research partnership network to PEKING UNIVERSITY consultancy better understand the institution’s UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA service…with a reputation among current and INDIANA UNIVERSITY aspirational research partners.

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE view to improving RESULTING HKUST RECOMMENDATIONS its international Based on the findings of the report, collaborations we provided the client with an TOP SUBJECT MCGILL UNIVERSITY in-depth analysis of perceptions AREAS IDENTIFIED in research segmented by country and subject MONASH UNIVERSITY area. We also analysed the gap AND ANALYSED between the client’s vision and 5 and innovation mission and the perception amongst their established and aspirational Via analysis of several data The client sought THE’s global academic network. sources, THE Consultancy consultancy service to better provides universities with findings understand, explore and map ACADEMIC specific to their unique academic its academic network, with a network, empowering them to view to improving its international make the strategic decisions to collaborations in research and NETWORK reach their goals. innovation.

METRICS ANALYSED ANALYSIS CASE STUDY: BY THE CONSULTANCY The metrics analysed were By analysing several metrics, OVERVIEW extracted from the Microsoft THE Consultancy worked with a Academic Graph, an extensive We provided the client with an public university based in Jeddah, THE Consultancy supports bibliometric database containing Saudi Arabia. It has been recognised academic publications, as well in-depth analysis of perceptions as a world-class institution, universities by mapping their global as authors, institutions, journals, performing well in Times Higher conferences and fields of study. segmented by country and Education’s Impact Rankings and academic network and providing Analysis of this data sought to Young University Rankings. explore and map the university’s subject area recommendations on how to academic network. expand their collaborative reach.

01018 01902 THE is a trusted authority on higher education. This is why the University of Wollongong engaged THE to work with us to gain insights into strategies that will build global visibility and awareness for our research, education and brand. Our consultant added value to our strategy development through his ability to present clear and insightful data about our current positioning and recommended practical strategies to take to market. THE is a great business partner and can be trusted to bounce off ideas in a respected and considered way. I recommend THE to anyone needing strategic marketing advice.

EMILY OSBORNE Director, Strategic Marketing and Communications University Of Wollongong, Australia

Contact [email protected] to discuss how our team can support you.