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The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the nation’s premier degree-awarding non-state university, broke new ground when it was ranked No. 1 among Sri Lanka’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the latest Webometrics Ranking of World Universities announced recently.
According to the published rankings, SLIIT towers tall, ranking 9th overall among Sri Lankan Universities (http://www.webometrics.info/en/Asia/Sri%20Lanka).
This prestigious achievement is in line with SLIIT’s vision of becoming a world-class university and comes soon after the recent successful conclusion of the university’s convocation.
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is compiled from reliable prestigious open data sources and is one of the critical measures tracked by top universities to measure themselves in the digital space.
This ranking system for universities worldwide is based on a composite indicator that takes into account both the volume of the web contents (number of web pages and files) and the visibility and impact of these web publications according to the number of external links (site citations) they received.
Published biannually by Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain, the ranking evaluates more than 20,000 universities.
Commenting on this achievement, President and CEO of SLIIT, Professor Lalith Gamage said: “The Webometrics Ranking is yet another affirmation of SLIIT’s online focus. This ranking is based on a university’s web presence and performance as well as its international visibility and impact. We are pleased that this ranking reflects SLIIT’s strong Internet footprint and constant improvements to the accessibility of information online.
“As an organisation that does not receive any Government funding, the contribution by our pioneering staff towards this significant achievement is highly commendable. It’s a high priority for us to continue to improve our web portals and digital access towards scholarly advancements” he added.
Elements which contribute to the calculation of the indicator are the number of links and pages on the site domain, the number of files in online formats, number of articles, papers and citations in the academic domain as well as articles published in high-impact, international journals.
“With changing trends, the digital medium has become the core focus for universities across the globe. SLIIT keeps pace ensuring that its online presence is impactful,” Gamage noted.
Among the 48 institutions across Sri Lanka that were evaluated by Webometrics, SLIIT has ascended to ninth position from its previous rank of 11 in 2014.
SLIIT Chairman Prof. Lakshman Ratnayake said: “SLIIT’s achievement in the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities can be attributed to many initiatives undertaken during the academic year and the personal dedication of all academic and administrative staff who contributed to our overall reputation of excellence.”
The aim of the ranking is to improve the presence of academic and research institutions on the web and promote open access publication of scientific results.
“SLIIT is confident that future substantial investment and resources into its programs, web improvements and marketing will bear fruit and help it surpass its current ranking among Sri Lanka’s top five universities,” Gamage stated.
