Can a new global tool make university rankings more honest? Tanzanian experts weigh in

Developed by Prof Lokman Meho of the American University of Beirut, the tool seeks to expose questionable academic practices that artificially inflate publication metrics. 

According to Prof Meho, the index flags universities with potential “structural integrity risks” based on factors such as high retraction rates and frequent publication in delisted journals.

“It’s not meant to punish universities. Rather, it provides an early warning system. Institutions should use it as a chance to reflect on how academic integrity can be maintained—even as they seek global visibility,” says Prof Meho.

The launch of RI² comes as Tanzanian institutions make modest strides in global rankings. 

In the latest UNIRANKS 2025 list, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) was ranked 32nd in Africa, leading nationally. 

However, no Tanzanian university has broken into the much-coveted ‘Elite University’ category, which recognises exceptional performance across key academic indicators.
Could RI² work in Tanzania?

According to local higher education experts, RI² could prove a game-changer—provided universities and regulatory bodies are willing to adopt and apply it effectively.

Education policy analyst, Dr Emmanuel Mzinga, told The Citizen on Friday, July 4, 2025, that the tool may help Tanzanian institutions focus on ethical academic development rather than chasing superficial metrics.

“Our universities often struggle with visibility in rankings, partly because the criteria favour well-resourced institutions in the Global North,” said Dr Mzinga. 

“A tool like RI² can both expose manipulation globally and help local universities identify areas where research integrity and quality must improve,” he added.
He noted that while Tanzanian universities are not typically associated with metric manipulation, the pressure to compete could lead some institutions down that path. 

“We need to be proactive—build integrity systems before this becomes a problem,” he said.
University rankings have long been criticised for favouring institutions capable of producing high volumes of research output—regardless of their academic or societal value.

Higher education researcher, Ms Agatha Nzilankata, observed that rankings have increasingly become branding tools rather than meaningful assessments of quality.
“Global ranking systems rarely consider African academic realities.

They often ignore local impact, teaching quality in context, and regional knowledge production. RI² offers a different lens—one that prioritises ethical publishing and transparency,” she said.

She believes Tanzanian universities could use the tool not just to detect integrity risks but to set benchmarks for ethical and sustainable academic growth. 
“This is an opportunity to create homegrown standards of excellence rooted in African values,” she said.
 

Local oversight and global tools

In Tanzania, the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) oversees academic quality through audits and accreditation processes. However, it has yet to adopt bibliometric risk tools such as RI².

While TCU Executive Secretary, Prof Charles Kihampa, has stressed the importance of aligning local institutions with global standards, experts argue that RI² could help improve that alignment by offering more ethical and contextualised assessments.
“TCU should consider incorporating integrity risk indicators into its evaluation framework,” said a lecturer from Mzumbe University. 
“It would encourage universities to focus more on mentorship, transparency in authorship, and quality-driven publishing,” stressed the don.

A tool—not a silver bullet

Still, some remain sceptical about how transformative RI² will be, with an education sociologist at the Open University of Tanzania, Dr Joyce Mushi, warning that the same behaviours seen in conventional rankings—such as citation manipulation and mass paper production—could be redirected towards ‘gaming’ the new integrity index.

“The challenge is cultural as much as it is technical. Integrity must be embedded within institutions—it cannot be imposed through audits alone. We need to nurture a values-based research culture,” she said.

Prof Meho himself acknowledged this risk in his global paper, noting the possibility of “metric substitution,” where institutions modify behaviour to outperform in a new system while failing to address underlying issues.

Many experts believe that for African universities to truly benefit from tools like RI², they must become active participants in redefining what academic excellence looks like.

“We cannot simply chase rankings designed by others,” Dr Mzinga concluded, adding.
“We need to help shape the discourse—by contributing tools, frameworks, and values that reflect our priorities and realities.”