To whom it may concern: Action plan: 10 AVENUES LEADING TO SHANGHAI TOP 500 (ALSO, THE-QS and WEBOMETRICS) AND 10 ISSUES OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE (5 issues, each one 2 sub-issues)

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To whom it may concernAction plan10
AVENUES LEADING TO SHANGHAI TOP 500 (ALSO,
THE-QS and WEBOMETRICS)AND 10 ISSUES OF CRUCIAL
IMPORTANCE (5 issues, each one 2 sub-issues)

• Author Prof. Dr. Milutinovic Veljko

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Introductory Notes (10)

• a. This is a study that I have completed at the
  request of Prof. Lekovic, Vice Rector of the
  University of Belgrade, in charge of the
  National Top500 project. It gives only the basic
  points (details are obtainable on special
  request).The first version was created in May
  2009.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• b. To complete this study, several experts were
  consulted primarily, Prof. Demsar (Ljubljana),
  Prof. Neuhold (Wienna), Prof. Valero
  (Barcelona),  and Prof. Mester (Szeged).

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Introductory Notes (10)

• c. Different universities are taking
  different avenues leading to the Shanghai
  Top 500 list, and these avenues are defined
  next.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• d. The best approach is to take all of them
  concurrently, for synergistic reasons.
  Examples of benefits coming from synergistic
  interaction of the 10 avenues are
  obtainable on request.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• e. What I list below are the avenues, and
  for each avenue I specify a university
  which got significant points by taking that
  avenue. For each university I can
  supply the name of my contact, who
  represents direct link to the major driver
  along the specified avenue (Rector, Director
  of NSF, etc.).

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Introductory Notes (10)

• f. Each issue defined below has a price tag,
  both to create and to maintain. The price
  of each one can be calculated on request.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• g. Each issue has a social dimension, and
  without appropriate attention given to the
  social dimension, the success can be
  jeopardized.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• h. Each issue needs a responsible person or
  institution, to take a permanent care about,
  plus a mechanism with elements of
  bible, stick, and carrot.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• i. Benefits of getting onto the Top500 list
  are multifold, and their elaboration is a
  subject of a follow-up write-up.

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Introductory Notes (10)

• j. IMPORTANT NOTE Issues do not count for
  Shanghai500, but act as crucial accelerators
  of the process. Avenues do count for the
  list. Avenues bring Shanghai points, and
  issues help the avenues to bring more points.

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Issues of Importance
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a. DIRECT VISIBILITY
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a. DIRECT VISIBILITY

• No matter what are the results generated by
  faculty members, the major issue is that all
  their results are clearly visible. One does not
  apply to the Shanghai list. They use the Internet
  to find data themselves, and that means that many
  results do not get noticed (my uneducated feeling
  is that only 20 of the results generated by the
  U. of Belgrade get noticed). Therefore, the
  crucial issue is that each university has a
  portal, in which the data are sorted using the
  SAME structure as is the structure of the
  Shanghai evaluation criteria, so they find ALL at
  one place, EASILY. That portal should be the
  first Google hit, when the official name of the
  university is typed, no matter what language is
  used (English, Serbian, Chinese, Spanish). The
  Szeged Univerity has a respectable portal, using
  11 correspondence with what Shanghai looks for
  (I do not know if that is so by accident, or due
  to a systematic effort). My contact to Szeged
  Rector Prof. Mester. I SUGGEST THAT PROF. MESTER
  IS ADDOPTED INTO THE BELGRADE MISSION TEAM.

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• The portal must include not only the data of
  interest for Shanghai, but also the data of
  interest for the other two lists getting popular
  (one in UK, THE-QS, and one in SP,
  WEBOMETRICS).

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   a1. Important for Shanghai
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Nobels (NL) or Major Field Medalists (MFMs) among
alumni (10)

• Does Ivo Andric hold a degree from UB?If yes, he
  will be bringing points for 100 years.Another
  question is if HDs count?There is some
  indication that these may count,but with an
  order of magnitude lower weight.That has yet to
  be proved.In any way, it does not hurt them to
  list themat the portal, in the HD category.We
  have about 10 NLs and MFMs among correct and
  futureHDs (Honorary Doctors), plus some
  universities havea practice to give HD
  post-mortem to NLs(which could be done for Ivo
  Andric, if rules permit).Also, leading
  researchers of SRB should be nominatedfor MFMs
  that Shanghai accepts.

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Nobels (NL) or Major Field Medalists (MFMs) among
staff (20)

• All NLs and MFMs who got our HDs, did express an
  interestto teach courses for credit in SRB,via
  Internet or to come here.What counts is not
  where the "radna knjizica" resides,but where the
  courses for credit are taught.Consequently, each
  school/department of UB (31),and each
  school/department of any other SRB
  universityhas to create a TOPICS-IN
  course,which brings transferable Bologna
  credits,and can be taught only by NL of MFM(the
  list of MFMs that Shanghai accepts,can be found
  via the Shanghai portal).

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Peak Researchers (20).

• This is where both,the number of SCI papers and
  SCI citations count,as well as the fellow
  nominations.SRB has to create a list of
  researcherswith SCI citations count over
  50,with SCI papers count over 50,and the list
  of fellows (nonMFMmedalists)of major societies
  and companies(Fellows of the IEEE, ACM, Intel,
  IBM,MS, Oracle, Cisco, Google,..).Tesla and
  Pupin were Fellows of IRE (now IEEE),and could
  count,had their nominations in BG been not
  droppedat the time they were alive.

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• For the peak researchers to count all their
  lifetime,all those who satisfy criteria for
  Shanghai points,should never be asked to
  retire.In Slovenia,no university professor is
  ever asked to retire.What I propose for SRB is
  less mercifulOnly those who bring Shanghai
  pointsshould never be asked to
  retire.Consequently, the current EMERITUS LAW IN
  SRBhas to be changed, and linked to Shanghai
  criteria.Currently it is linked to the 3
  condition,which creates ambiguities and room for
  abuse.   

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• Of course, in order not to cut jobs for
  youngers,the teaching of non-retired post-65
  professorsshould be limited only to master and
  PHD studies,and only to one course per
  semester.Opening of a third, summer semester(in
  addition to fall and spring)should be
  considered,and not only for TOPICS-IN
  courses(visitors can easily come in summers,and
  summers are ideal make-up periodsfor courses
  difficult to pass(at Purdue University, all
  tough courses are offeredalso in summers).

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Size (10)

• Our major Achilies heal. Legislature is
  neededthat moves non-productive staff to
  teaching services,which do not count (like
  financial services, cleaningservices, student
  services, housing services, ...).All privileges
  and titles should be kept intact,to amortize
  frictions. A grace period should be given to
  those who wish to improve. Full professors should
  be kept intact, so they become allies, not
  enemies. Also, productive groups should be
  incorporated (if the Jozef Stefan Institute
  would become a part of LJ university,LJ would
  get into Top100).

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SCI (20)

• Both papers and citations are important.However,
  here is the stress on SCI papers.
• AGAIN, RETIRED PROFESSORS WITH HIGH CUMULATIVE
  SCISHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TEACH AND TO ADVICE PHD
  STUDENTS,LIFELONG (LIKE AT ALL MAJOR USA
  UNIVERSITIES).

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• Also, government has to give money both for SCI
  papers and SCI citations, but ONLY IF AND AFTER
  THE FACTSBECOME VISIBLE BOTH ON THE NATIONAL
  BULLETIN BOARD(that motivates others in the
  nation, more than any money)AND AN FP7 PROPOSAL
  INCLUDING THESE PAPERS AND CITATIONS (SCI) GETS
  SUBMITTED (SEE BELOW),BECAUSE SUCCESSFULL
  PROPOSALS BRING MONEY TO GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY,
  and ALMOST-SUCCESSFUL ONES BRING MONEY (VERY
  LIKELY) IN THE NEXT CALL (see below).

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• In other words, money is neededfor all these
  awards, and it can come from FP7. Actually, if
  the work is relevant, money is more likely to
  come.So, the criterion for awards should be not
  only SCI (quality),but SCI and FP7 (quality and
  relevance). Hybrid solutions are also possible,
  i.e. small awards for SCI only,and significant
  awards for SCIFP7 (synergy).

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• Articles at Nature and Science (20)These should
  be awarded by Government and Press(see part on
  MEDIA VISIBILITY given below).Each such paper
  should be given nice money by governmentand an
  article in Politika,and an exposure at RTS.

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The bottom line is that NSF of SRB should be
giving money as follows

• 1. "Na kasicicu"To all registered researchers,
  just to keep them above bio minimum.Recimo,
  nacionalni minimalac.2. "Lopatom"Kad generisu
  SCI bodove za Shanghai (radove i
  citate).Recimo, E100 za rad i E10 za citat.3.
  "Bagerom"Kad generisu rad za Nature and
  Science.Recimo, E1000.

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a2. Important for others (UK and SP)
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 International students

• They will come if appropriate infrastructure
  existsquality of education is not the only
  issue of importance.ALSO, BRING STANFORD or MIT
  programs to BG,and foreign students from the
  region will hog our doors!STUDENTS COUNT NO
  MATTER WHAT COUNTRY THEY COME FROM!

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 International staff

• Each faculty should have a 3-credit course TOPICS
  IN XYZ,should be taught by a foreign
  professor(they do not need high honoraria to
  comewhat is important to them is to spread
  their mission,and what can also help is the
  LONELY PLANET 1 )FOREIGN PROFESSORS COUNT
  ONLY IF THEY COME FROMSHANGHAI TOP 500 AND TEACH
  FOR CREDIT.

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Students accepted for grad schools at other top
universities

• This is our major strength, since only ETF
  brings on average 10 grad students per year to
  Top10 USA schools(especially after a course has
  been generated which teaches students how to get
  there - ETF got moneyequivalent to 1M now,
  from a past student who became an alumnus of
  Stanford, and the course was created to maximize
  the probability that something like that happens
  again the course also includes FP7, MBA, and
  SCI, plus parts on inventivity, creativity,
  effectiveness, and efficiency). Also, 40 past
  students of ETF are now doing PHD in Barcelona,
  which is treated the EU top in computer
  design.IT COUNTS ONLY IF OUR STUDENTS REACH
  SHANGHAI 500. NB Mechanism needed to report
  progress beyond UB

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 Staff teaching at other top universities

• All our professors visiting elsewhere have to be
  listed,but only if "elsewhere" is Shanghai top
  500.
• The portal creation and maintenance have a
  non-trivial price tag, which can be calculated.
  Prof. Jovanovic and RCUB, plus Prof. Popovic and
  ETF, should be consulted about the tender for
  the portal creation.

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Webometrics

• PageRank versus PaperRank
• ProfessorRank versus FacultyRank
• UniversityRank

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b. GOVERNMENT IMPOSED MOTIVATION MECHANISMS

• In order to help generate good results,
  GOVERNMENT has to introduce motivation
  mechanisms, both for national funding and for
  EU funding

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• b1. For national funding, the best example is
  Slovenia(Ljubljana is at the position 402).SLO
  funding criteria are very close to Shanghai
  criteria.A possible solution is to ask a VIP
  from Slovenia to helpgenerate such criteria for
  Serbia,and to add both, the mechanisms that make
  the Serbia criteriaIDENTICAL to Shanghai
  criteria (ALL 6 listed above), and also
  thePREVENTIVE mechanisms that prevent frictions
  from stepping ontoes of seniors who are
  influential, but week in science, andcould
  generate frictions (ako si redovni profesor, niko
  nece date dira, ali nemoj da kocis, nego pomogni
  - prikljuci se idejikoja dobija a ako si
  asistent, docent ili vanredni,zapni iz sve
  snage). This means that issues likepapers in
  Nature and Science have to be financially
  recognizednot only the SCI papers. This means
  mechanisms that getintroduced gradually,
  selectively, and transparently.The core of the
  financial mechanism is presented above.

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• b2. For international funding, the best examples
  are Germany andAustria, where very good but
  unsuccessful proposals getnon-trivial
  reimbursements for preparation efforts.Along the
  same lines,Croatia has introduced a mechanism
  which cold for SRB, tooEach FP7 proposal is
  rated with up to 15 pointsST, Scientific and
  Technical, gets up to 5 points,MF, Management
  and Finances, gets up to 5 points,ED, European
  Dimension, gets up to 5 points.

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• If a proposal gets 12 points or more,it has good
  chances to win an EU contract.If a proposal gets
  10 points or more,but does not win a contract,
  it getsE10K for project leader, if from CROE4K
  for WP leader, if from CROE3K for each partner
  from CROAll this on condition that none of the
  three parts is rated below3 points (ovo
  ogranicenje je odlicno, da se ne bi desilo da
  seneko uortacio sa firmom RR koja garantuje
  4.5. na ST i ED, pa se 10 poena prebaci sa
  slabim ST delom od samo 1 poen).Also, total
  given out is E10K (ako je iz CRO leaderi jos dva
  partnera, total koji se daje nije E16K, nego
  E10K,ali to ogranicenje nije dobro).

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• Consequently, in 2008, CRO output to EU was
  E2M,and the input from EU was E17M (based on
  what I have, SRB data are E1M8 and E2M4). For
  CALL 5 (closed Oct 26, 2009), success rate of
  Croatia is excellent of SRB is tragic. Please,
  note that ETF has a course which teaches students
  how to do FP7 proposals.This course is also
  available at PMF (obligatory at MasterFFH),FON
  (elective at PHD level), and Singidunum
  (obligatory at PHD).

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• My proposal for SRB (which is what SLO may
  introduce soon)E5K if leaderE2K if WP
  leaderE1K if partnerCondition min 3 at either
  ST, or MF, or ED.Important money in one week
  after application for money!

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• This money comes from the Minister of Finances,
  via the Minister of Science, since each
  almost-successful project may win next time, and
  then the government funds get loaded with orders
  of magnitude more money that given for
  reimbursements (socijalno, zdravtveno, penziono,
  etc). Primer Ako SRB univerzitet, kao jedan od
  partnera donese E350K za plate, od toga E150K
  ostaje SRB drzavi (faktor oko 1.75), pa zato ima
  smisla da drzava stimulise almost-successful
  proposals, jer se buduci uspesni generisu upravo
  iz ove grupe. Sada drzava daje 10 uspesnima,
  ali to nije neophodno, jer ako je neko dobio
  pare od EU, on ima para, i ne treba dodatno
  opterecivati budzet (zasto podmazivati rep
  debeloj guski?).

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c. UNIVERSITY IMPOSED MOTIVATION MECHANISMS
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In order to help generate good results,
UNIVERSITIES have to introduce good motivation
mechanisms for

• c1. PHD student publicationsLJ is now asking 2
  SCI papers for PHD.c2. faculty promotionsLJ has
  made the promotion criteria much tougher than BG
• Crucial principles to apply PRIMENA SA
  ZADRSKOM, POSTEPENOST, SELEKTIVNOST,
  TRANSPARENTNOST, i RELEVANTNOST (source Franci
  Demsar, Director of the NSF of Slovenia).
  Razrada ovih 5 kriterijuma je predmet posebnog
  dopisa (poseban rad istih koautora, Milutinovic,
  Lekovic, Tomazic, Demsar).

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Suggestion for SRB, based on statistical
analysis

• 1. for natural and medical sciences, 3 SCI papers
  for PHD.2. for electrical and computer
  engineering, 2 SCI papers3. for other
  engineering, 1 SCI paper4. for social sciences
  (laws, economy, etc), 1 SSCI paper5. for arts
  and humanities (languages, etc), 1 paper, in one
  of  AHCI or ERIH A or ERIH B.  ERIH C NOT
  ACCEPTABLE.  GOOD DOMESTIC JOURNAL HAVE TO GET
  INTO ERICH A OR B.

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A GUIDELINE ON HOW TO MAKE A JOURNAL FOR SCI,
SSCI, AHCI, OR ERIH,ON SPECIAL REQUEST.

• It should be announced that the above rules will
  be applied in 5 years from now, and will be made
  tighter every 5 years. Another possibility is
  that the rule for sciences/medicine be applied
  in 1 year, for EE/CE in 2 years, for other
  engineering in 3 years, for SSIi in 4 years, and
  for arts and humanities in 5 years.Absolutely
  everything has to be transparent to the entire
  nation!

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d. INDIRECT VISIBILITY
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• In order to generate visible results (that get
  easily publishable), mentors have to be
  motivated to focus on the relevant problems, so
  that money, time, effort, and talent is not
  wasted. So, mechanisms (offices) are needed to
  helpd1. Effectiveness, how to select the
  right road to reach the target
  destinationd2. Efficiency, how to be fast
  on that road

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• One possible scenario (related to effectiveness)
  that wastes talent and time is the following
  one Assistants are typically recruited among
  the best students, and very often end up doing
  PHD with the politically most influential
  professor in the Area (Katedra), who is not
  productive (effective), so they are given a
  suva-drenovina topic for PHD. How to prevent
  this? National list of topic priorities and
  consultation of that list when the thesis topic
  is to be approved, or even better, asking for a
  SCI paper at the time of thesis topic adoption.

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• One possible scenario (related to efficiency)
  needing improvement is that promotion committees
  waste their time on clear cases (promote vs
  reject), which can be treated automatically.
  They should concentrate their time only on
  gray-zone cases (details on request). Also,
  each promotion should be evaluated by an ethics
  committee(important topic not covered
  here).This issue has a price tag, not only in
  money, but also in social issues, and can be
  calculated with an appropriate effort.
• MENTORS MUST SATISFY THE MINIMUM SCI PAPER
  REQUIREMENT.AGAIN, THE RULE SHOULD BE APPLIED
  WITH DELAY, AND TRANSPARENTLY.

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e. PRESS VISIBILITY
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• Researcher get better informed via media and
  newspapers, then via official channels.
  Consequently,   e1. Politika (and others) have
  to write about the issues  and mechanisms
  presented here.   e2. Rectors and ProRectors
  have to talk for TV,  as well.The
  Mission Team must include reps from media!

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Avenues

• 1. NLs and MFMs among alumni. An excellent
  example Stanford.   It is not that there
  is nothing that SRB can do here )   My
  contacts FlynnHennessy (president,
  co-author on a recent book)

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• 2. NLs and MFMs among staff. An excellent
  example Texas.  My contact Patt (MFM) 
  There are several sub-avenues that SRB can take
  )  Non-resident staff does count on certain
  conditions.  OUR ALUMNI WHO ARE PROFESSORS
  ELSEWHERE, SHOULD BE ASKED TO TEACH!
• SUGGESTION ASK THE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONIF IT IS
  OK THAT AN MFM MAKES A 20 MINUTE LECTURE AT THE
  APRIL 4 CELEBRATION, AND THEN CONTINUES WITH A
  TOPICS-IN COURSE AT ETF!

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• 3. Peak Researchers. Best example
  Politechnic of Valencia.   The avenue boils
  down to hiring good researchers.  My contacts
  Pont Jil. Details on request.

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• 4. Size. Best example Milano.  The avenue
  boils down to moving weak researchers to
  teaching services, which is easily doable at
  private universities,   and very difficult at
  state universities.   Detailes on request. My
  contact Sami.

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• 5. SCI. Not only papers, but citations, too,
  have to be clearly visible at the portal.
  Best example Ljubljana.   Details on request.

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• 6. Articles in Science and Nature. Best
  example Ljubljana   Contacts Demsar and
  Tomazic. Details on request.

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• 7. International Students. Best example U.
  of Tokyo.  The avenue implies excellent
  infrastructure for foreign students 
  (instant nostrification of diplomas, mobility,
  dorms, services).   My contact to rector
  Prof. Fujii.

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• 8. International Staff. Best example
  Waseda.   Details on request. My contact
  to Rector Prof. Iwai

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• 9. Student acceptance rate at other
  universities. Details on request.  Best
  example Technion. My contact Prof. Valero.

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• 10. Staff teaching elsewhere. Details on
  request.    Best example Weizman. My
  contact Prof. David.

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Final Notes (10)

• a. Someone has to be responsible for generation
  of data for the portal.b. Someone has to be
  responsible for the portal implementation.c.
  Someone has to calculate the points from the BGD
  portal,  and to report to the Shanghai
  administration, if a difference is noticed -
  a watchdog is needed (same as above).d. Someone
  has to be responsible for implementation of all 
  motivation mechanisms in the Gov domain
  (Minister of Science).e. Someone has to be
  responsible for implementation of motivation
  mechanisms at SRB universities, both public
  and private (Rectors).f. Someone has to be made
  responsible for national priorities 
  (effectiveness and efficiency).

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• g. Someone has to be responsible for MEDIA
  VISIBILITY  (suggestion Stanko Stojiljkovic
  and Olivera Kosic).  Stanko bi bili zaduzeni za
  vizibilitet cele akcije!h. Someone has to be
  made responsible for PUSH at universities
  outside BGD (e.g. Filipovic KG, Milovanovic
  Nis, NS, etc...)i. Someone has to be responsible
  for PUSH at private universities.  Given the
  fact how little the government gives for public 
  universities, some of the private universities
  may overpass UB.j. Someone has to be responsible
  for continuity  (universities come to Top500,
  and some of them stay there for only  one year
  - make sure that does not happen to us, once
  one successful administration term expires).
  A SELF ORGANIZING SYSTEM IS NEEDED!

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FINAL COMMENTS

• 1. According to Prof. Mester talk in Amalfi, 
  Shanghai analyses 3000 and reports 500.   If UB
  is among 3000, our job is easier.  If not, our
  job is tough.  Someone has to find out if UB is
  among 3000, and where?2. According to Prof.
  Mester,   all top 500 universities have a strong
  central governance,  which makes it easy to
  introduce and reinforce wise rules.  If UB
  likes to become a member of the top 500 family, 
  the university statute has to be modified.

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