The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject 2026 reached a fascinating conclusion: Asian universities are rising faster than ever, particularly in the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences.1

But is this rise fueled by genuine academic investment, or is it inflated by what verified audits describe as "Semantic Fraud"?

Data from our ongoing Korea-wide audit of international partnerships suggests that for several South Korean institutions, the "International Outlook" scores—a key pillar of these rankings—may be based on falsified data.

The "International Outlook" Anomaly

The THE methodology heavily weights "International Outlook" (staff, students, research collaboration). As we detailed in our analysis "The Prestige Loop,"2 this metric is structurally vulnerable to manipulation. If a university falsifies its list of international partners (claiming agreements that don't exist), it can artificially boost this score by presenting a "Global" face that is statistically untrue.

We cross-referenced our Preliminary Audit List3 (universities with confirmed partnership discrepancies) with the newly released 2026 Subject Rankings. The results show a disturbing correlation between "High Fraud Counts" and "Anomalously High International Outlook Scores."

1. Hanyang University: The Business of Inflation?

  • Audit Finding: Our preliminary audit flagged 5 potential false partnership claims for Hanyang University (including top-tier universities in China and Malaysia).3
  • Ranking Anomaly: In the Business & Economics 2026 ranking, Hanyang ranks 201-250 overall. However, its International Outlook score is a staggering 71.1.4
  • The Question: How does a university with multiple unverified international partnerships achieve an "Outlook" score that rivals global elites? High scores usually reflect genuine exchange and collaboration. If the partnerships are fake, the score is a bubble.

2. Pusan National University: Beating SNU with Fake Partners?

  • Audit Finding: Flagged for 4 discrepancies, including the audacious claim of partnering with Harvard University alongside verified gaps with Temple University (USA) and York University (Canada).3
  • Ranking Gaming: As we documented on social media, Pusan's claim of a partnership with Harvard is not just an error; it is a calculated attempt to leverage "fake partnerships" to manipulate ranking metrics, particularly the US News "International Collaboration" indicator.5
  • Ranking Anomaly: In Business & Economics, Pusan ranks 151-175. Yet, its International Outlook score is 75.7.4
  • Comparison: This score is significantly higher than many top-tier universities. For a national university with verified partnership gaps to score this high suggests the metric itself is vulnerable to "Semantic Misrepresentation."
  • THE's Stance: In correspondence dated Jan 13, 2026, the THE Data Team stated they do not consider that these misrepresentations "materially influenced" the ranking metrics.6 We respectfully disagree. As detailed in "The Prestige Loop," the "Harvard Halo" effect directly biases the 33% Reputation Survey, a subjective measure vulnerable to exactly this kind of brand association.

3. Konkuk University: The "Gaming" Signature

  • Audit Finding: Flagged for 3 discrepancies.3
  • Ranking Anomaly: In Arts & Humanities, Konkuk is ranked low (401-500). However, its International Outlook score is 73.1.7
  • The Red Flag: This is higher than Seoul National University's score in several engineering fields.8 When a mid-tier university's "International" score vastly outperforms its "Research" or "Teaching" scores, it is often a signature of an institution "gaming" the specific metrics that are easiest to manipulate (i.e., signing—or faking—MOUs).

The Seoul National University (SNU) Paradox

Perhaps most alarming is the shortlisting of Seoul National University (SNU) for the "Leadership and Management Team of the Year" in the THE Awards Asia 2026.9

Our audit found that SNU's Office of International Affairs lists Ritsumeikan University (Japan) as a student exchange partner.10 Ritsumeikan’s official records verify that NO such student exchange agreement exists.11

How can a university be shortlisted for "Management Team of the Year" when its management team is overseeing a public website that misleads students about international opportunities?

The "Dongguk" Control Group: The "Ghost" University

Dongguk University, the focus of our initial investigation, was recently caught "Panic Scrubbing" (deleting) its falsified partnerships with UBC (Canada) and others.12

Notably, Dongguk University is absent from the THE rankings entirely.

THE Data Team confirmed in correspondence that Dongguk "has never participated in Times Higher Education rankings."6 This reveals a startling dichotomy: Dongguk markets itself domestically as a "Global Leader" with a vast network of 34+ top-tier partners, yet avoids the scrutiny of global ranking bodies. They are effectively a "Ghost University"—simulating global status for domestic tuition revenue while hiding from international verification.

This behavior confirms what Professor John Ioannidis (Stanford) recently noted in correspondence regarding ranking integrity: some institutions have become "addicted to gaming" the system.13

Conclusion: The "International Strategy" Void

The most telling data point might be what is missing. In the THE Awards Asia 2026 shortlist for "International Strategy of the Year," South Korean universities are completely absent.9

While institutions from Thailand, India, and Malaysia proudly showcased their strategies, Korea remained silent. Is this silence a tacit admission? Does it reveal that Korea's "International Strategy" is currently built on a foundation of inflated MOUs and unverified data that cannot withstand the scrutiny of an award application?

We call on Times Higher Education to audit the "International Outlook" data submitted by these institutions before finalizing the 2026 scores.

References & Data Sources

  1. Patrick Jack, "World University Rankings by Subject 2026: results announced," Times Higher Education, Jan 21, 2026. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/world-university-rankings-subject-2026-results-announced ↩

  2. Gender Watchdog, "The Prestige Loop: How 'Semantic Fraud' Games Global University Rankings," Jan 16, 2026. https://blog.genderwatchdog.org/the-prestige-loop-how-semantic-fraud-games-global-university-rankings/ ↩

  3. Gender Watchdog, "Preliminary Audit Analysis: Korea-Wide Partnership Discrepancies," Jan 21, 2026. (Note: Results are preliminary and based on automated cross-referencing of partner portals. Manual verification is ongoing.) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Business & Economics. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2026/subject-ranking/business-and-economics ↩ ↩2

  5. Gender Watchdog, "Pusan National University Ranking Gaming Thread," X.com, Jan 7, 2026. https://x.com/Gender_Watchdog/status/2008768256530915552 ↩

  6. Correspondence from THE Data Team to Gender Watchdog, Jan 13, 2026. View Full Evidence ↩ ↩2

  7. THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Arts & Humanities. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2026/subject-ranking/arts-and-humanities ↩

  8. THE World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Engineering. (Note: SNU Engineering scores vary but International Outlook is notably lower in specific sub-fields compared to the inflated scores of lower-tier unis.) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2026/subject-ranking/engineering ↩

  9. THE Reporters, "Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2026: shortlist announced," Jan 20, 2026. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/times-higher-education-awards-asia-2026-shortlist-announced ↩ ↩2

  10. Seoul National University OIA Website Partner List (Accessed Jan 20, 2026). ↩

  11. Ritsumeikan University Official Partner Database (Accessed Jan 20, 2026). Evidence Tweet: https://x.com/Gender_Watchdog/status/2010238919070376427 ↩

  12. "Panic Scrub: Dongguk Deletes UBC," Gender Watchdog Blog. https://blog.genderwatchdog.org/panic-scrub-dongguk-deletes-ubc-reverts-to-dead-names/ ↩

  13. Correspondence with Professor John Ioannidis, cited in "The Panic Scrub," Gender Watchdog Blog, Jan 19, 2026. https://blog.genderwatchdog.org/panic-scrub-dongguk-deletes-ubc-reverts-to-dead-names/ ↩