Trinity College Dublin has emerged as Ireland’s foremost university in yet another academic ranking table. The EDUNIVERSAL Top 100 Business Schools list ranks Trinity as the best in Ireland.
The ranking, which assesses postgraduate schools of business from 153 countries, placed Trinity’s School of Business as first in Ireland, 15th in Europe, and 21st in the world.
Dr. Gerard McHugh, Head of the School of Business, said, ‘We are delighted that the School’s efforts continue to be ranked amongst the world’s global elite and we will continue to focus our energies into ensuring Trinity’s School of Business remains a centre of excellence both in Ireland and abroad.’
EDUNIVERSAL is a resource tool created for students and employers alike, identifying the best Business Schools in nine geographical zones, and compiling a list of the Global Top 100. Harvard Business School scooped the top-spot on the list which was scored by a combination of peer reviews from the Deans of 1,000 business schools worldwide, accreditation obtained by the schools, reputed studies undertaken by the schools, and results from other main classifications.
This year has seen Trinity moved up two positions, from 23rd, closely rivalling the London School of Economics, in 20th place, and just ahead of HEC Montreal, in 22nd place. Second in Ireland was UCD’s Smurfit Business School, which also ranked well internationally as 21st in Europe and 40th in the world, a fall by 2 places from last year.
Speaking to Trinity News this week, Professor Brian Lucey, Associate Professor of Finance in Trinity’s School of Business, said
“This result proves that the opinion that we need one big Business School in Ireland is nonsense.” He continued, “The ‘bigger is better’ approach is foolish. We already have two world class schools in this country, and they are setting the bar for the other Irish Universities to follow.” Five other Irish Business Schools were included in the best 1,000, although none earned a ranking on the Top 100 list.
There was a general consensus among students currently enrolled in the School at Trinity that this was a well deserved result for a “small but quality” department. “It’s also great for students in the School as we can now approach employers feeling confident that our qualifications are recognised as world class. And it reaffirms Trinity’s position as the top University in the country,” said one MSc Finance student.
While celebrating the good news, Professor Lucewy did, however, raise some concerns regarding investment in the Social Sciences arena. “It is somewhat frustrating to see the huge investments in bio- and techno- specialities, with so little being pumped into research in social sciences. Ireland has several world class players in this area, who need only a fraction of the investment being placed in science and engineering. More investment in social sciences and humanities would produce real value for money,” he said.
Alumni of the School include Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and British Airway’s Willie Walsh.
