Our research environment in the School of Politics and International Relations was rated as 100% world leading or internationally excellent in this latest assessment, reflecting the quality of our research and its impact on society.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK Higher Education Institutes. The assessment measures the quality of academic output alongside its impact on the economy, society, public policy, culture and quality of life, every seven years. It is a recognised indicator of research quality, influencing student choice and the distribution of public funds for research, last measured in 2014.
‘I am delighted about the fantastic result of the School of Politics and International Relations in the REF2021.’ Head of School Dr Nadine Ansorg responded ‘Due to the hard work and dedication of all our colleagues, we have seen a significant increase in our overall score for the units of assessment, as well as our publications.’
‘We are also proud of the increase in proportion of world leading impact, which reflects the effect our research has on life beyond academia. The significant improvement of our environment rating shows that we are a great School for excellent and world-class research, which provides a nourishing environment for established as well as junior academics.’
Here’s a Summary of our REF2021 results:
- Our overall score for the units of assessment increased from 2.75 in 2014 to 3.06: Kent Politics and international relations has moved up to rank 32nd in the UK
- 77% of publications were classed as world leading or internationally excellent compared to 53% in 2014, with the world leading component increasing from 12% to 28%
- The research environment was rated as 100% world leading or internationally excellent, increasing from 63% in 2014.
- The proportion of world leading impact increased from 40% to 50%, and is reflected in being ranked in the first quartile.
For a full summary of the University of Kent’s REF2021 results see here.