STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION AND INSTITUTIONAL COMPETITIVENESS: LESSONS FROM QS RANKINGS AND UZBEK UNIVERSITIES

This paper explores how global university rankings, particularly those of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), act as mechanisms of corporate governance and strategic transformation in higher education. Drawing on expert interviews with the QS Consulting Team, the study analyses how rankings shape institutional competitiveness, investment attractiveness, and governance reforms in Uzbekistan. Findings show that QS criteria — academic reputation, research output, internationalisation, employability, sustainability, and digital innovation — parallel business management indicators of competitiveness and strategic restructuring. The study positions rankings as business tools that drive governance reform, attract investment, and restructure institutional processes, aligning higher education with broader discourses of competitiveness and innovation management in emerging economies.