The visualization shows a strong correlation between countries with high gross domestic product (GDP) and the presence of top 50 universities, according to QS World University Rankings. It makes visible the dominance of universities in the United States and few other regions, despite some economically developed areas like China and Russia lacking high-ranking institutions. This pattern exists in the underlying data but is brought to light and its implications explored further through the visual representation.

1. Arts 2090 Visualisation
C O R R E L A T IO N
B E TWE E N TO P 5 0
U N IV E R S IT IE S
AND GROS S
D O M E S T IC
PRODUC T

2. C o r r e la t io n b e t w e e n
t o p 5 0 U n iv e r s it ie s
a nd G D P

3. W h a t is t h e in v is ib le
p a tte rn w e ma d e
v is ib le ?
The invisible pattern that we’ve made visible is the
pattern and connection between countries of high
Gross Domestic Product (standard of living) and
quality higher education. By emphasising the highly
developed economies on a world map and plotting
the World's Top 50 Universities, we are making a
statement that education contributes to a country's
economic development.

4. What other patterns are we
making visible?/questions being
•
raisedareby the developed, specifically China and Russia,
In large regions which economically
visualisation
there stands no high ranking academic institution against world standards.
-What contributes to their economic growth? Education or other factors?
• Are these people going to Western societies/countries where there are Top 50
universities and being educated there? Are the graduates then staying in that country
and contributing to that economy? Or are they then going back to their home country
and contributing to the economy there?
• Areas where English is not the first language, primarily Asia, we see high ranking
universities but why is it that students from these countries become international
students in Australia and the US?
Free Higher Education for citizens
• in Scandinavia and other areas of Europe such as Germany education is free for its citizens.
• why does this region lack top ranking universities? Is there a correlation between education being free and
being paid for, and trying to relate it to the quality of their respective institutions? For example, the USA
(known for expensive tuitions) to say Norway where it is free? T
• To an extent, Australia can even be compared through the HECS system it implements which is a middle
ground between both systems i guess. could we make the conclusion that by paying for education it means
the quality of their institutions are better?

5. T o w h a t e x t e n t d o e s it
p r e -e x i s t o u r m a k i n g i t
v i s i b l e ? /T o w h a t e x t e n t
a r e w e c r e a t in g it v ia
m a k in g it v is ib le ?
It pre-exists in the form of data, specifically lists in
the form of a ranking system, that if read and
displayed side by side may show a connection or a
pattern
We are creating this pattern via making it visible to
the extent that these connections can be easily
distinguished and what is obvious in the visualization
doesn’t exist in the raw data alone, it’s only once
combined in an easy to read visual way, these
connections and patterns are created and a cyclical
or cause and effect pattern emerges.

6. W h a t d if f e r e n c e d o e s
it m a k e t o p u b lis h
s u c h a v is u a liz a t io n ?
• The visualisation makes us explore data in ways we couldn't see before.
Although we could assume that the US had the top ranking universities in
the world, why is it concentrated in the USA?
• Paid tuition = higher quality of education? The hegemonic power of the USA?
Top universities in parts of Europe and Asia --> other implications that can be
made?
• Allows us to look deeper into what factors go into developing economies
and can possibly use these conclusions to develop other economies.
What is the USA doing right in terms of education and how their strategies can
be applied to e.g. Africa or South America?
• Allows us to see in blatant vision the dominance of the USA - the world
map is so big, yet all the hats are concentrated in one small part of the
picture, thus pays credence to their hegemonic power.
• Strength and priorities largely of the western world, to publish such a
visualization makes a difference to the way in which people view and
compare a cause and effect role of education in creating and maintaining
a strong economy and society.

7. In w h a t p u b lic s d o e s
s u c h a v is u a liz a t io n
in t e r v e n e ?
• Governments
Educators
• Students
• High School
University
• Economists

8. Is s u e s in v o lv e d ,
e v a lu a t e t h e
s t r e n g t h s a n d lim it s
o f the w o rk the
The w eg kr e s s e s in our visualization lie inn e .
a no u p h a s d o the:
• potential for bias present in the data of the university ranking system.
Although the criteria for the ranking is extensive and thorough, some
of the ranking relies on a university’s reputation, rather how long it’s
been around, which doesn’t necessarily correlate with the quality of
the education provided in the institution. This discrepancy may
account in a small part to the lack of top universities present in the
more newly developed countries like Russia and China who both
show strong GDP but no top university.
• Looking at what should be considered a world standard for education.
it is hard to generalise such an all-encompassing subject. universities
are different everywhere, given cultural and language differences, diff
degrees of govt exp into education, etc. does this pay credence to the
hegemonic power of the USA?

9. Strengths
• The s t r e n g t h s lie in the simplicity of the
visualization, by plotting the information on a world
map the data really comes to life and takes on new
meaning which is easily read.

10. Sources used when making the
visualisation
• References and useful links:
Definition of GDP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product
QS Uni rankings used in visualization
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010
GDP data used in Visualization http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/GDP-ranking-table
QS ranking system
http://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings/understanding-qs-world-university-rankings-methodology