World University Rankings video competition

World University Rankings 2013-2014 coming 2 October 2013

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings video competition is back for 2013.

As last year’s shortlisted videos exceed 30,000 views on YouTube, Times Higher Education magazine is inviting entries for a new competition to celebrate excellence across all of higher education globally and to mark the publication of the 2013-14 World University Rankings in October.

Anyone who works for or studies in any university in the world is invited to submit a short video of no more than 20 seconds, listing the three best things about their institution.

These can cover any aspect of the institution beyond the 13 performance indicators used to create the prestigious THEWorld University Rankings, from the quality of research or teaching, to the social and cultural life, employment opportunities, or the campus environment.

The most inspiring and entertaining videos, presented in the most creative and innovative ways, and those videos which capture the imagination of the higher education community on social networks, are likely to find favour with our judges.

All shortlisted videos will be featured on Times Higher Education’s YouTube channel, and our favourites will appear on the THE website, with the potential to be included in the THE World University Rankings official launch video. The creator of the best video will also win an Apple iPad.

“The Times Higher Education World University Rankings judge world-class research universities across a trusted and comprehensive range of 13 separate performance indicators, to provide the gold standard in university comparisons”, said Phil Baty, editor of Times Higher Education rankings.

“But we know that there are many wonderful things that universities do that can not always be captured by rankings, no matter how sophisticated the methodology has become. With this video competition, we want to celebrate excellence in higher education in the round and to capture all the varied things that make universities so special - from transforming people’s lives, to contributing to democracy, to pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge.

“What makes a university special can be very personal to the individual, so we are expecting a rich range of contributions reflecting the truly multi-faceted wonders of a great university.”

In last year’s competition, 14 videos made the final short list, representing institutions in Australia, Canada, China, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, the US and UK. Filmmakers, ranging from individual students to professionals in university marketing, were asked to describe what makes their institution world class, and the videos were restricted to just 10 seconds in length.

Last year’s winning video, embedded below, which has now reached almost 10,000 views on YouTube, was created by Ryan MacDowell, a 2012 graduate of Canada’s McGill University who now works in its student services department. The McGill video drew on the strap line “the real world is now”. Using a split screen technique, it said that McGill was the university “where the imaginary line drawn between student life and the real world doesn’t exist”.

Last year’s winner
McGill University

Email your video to
rankings@timeshighereducation.co.uk
before 2 September 2013, ensuring your video does not exceed 20MB

The rules:

• Videos must be no longer than 20 seconds
• Video file size must not exceed 20MB
• Videos can be submitted in common digital video formats shot on digital cameras including video shot on iPhones. We cannot accept submissions from very old mobile phones
• Videos must be created specifically for this competition and must directly complete the sentence: “The best three things about [name of university] are…”
• Videos must not be broadcast anywhere before Times Higher Education publishes them
• Videos must be emailed to rankings@timeshighereducation.co.uk by 2 September 2013
• All videos must include the university’s name or identity within the 20 seconds allocated
• The editor’s decision on the winning entry, and any that are featured on You Tube or the THE website or in the official launch video, will be final

The small print

With respect to videos (“Content”) you submit, you grant TSL Education Ltd (“TSL”) a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive and fully sub-licensable right and licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such Content (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed.

You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the Content and can grant the rights set out above. You represent, warrant and undertake that: (i) use of the Content will not infringe the rights of any third parties (including that the Content or material is not defamatory); and (ii) you have obtained all rights and consents that are necessary for you to provide the Content; and (iii) you will immediately remove and notify us of any Content that does not does not comply with the terms of submitting Content or may infringe the rights of third parties. You agree to indemnify TSL and its affiliates for all claims brought by a third party against TSL or its affiliates in respect of infringement of that third party’s intellectual property rights or arising out of or in connection with a breach of any of these warranties.