Position of universities from the V4 countries in international rankings

The CURG (Czech Universities Ranking Group), in collaboration with QS, THE, and Elsevier, hosted the international conference “CEE Universities Ranking Strategies” on November 3-4, 2025, at VSE – The Prague University of Economics and Business.

In the globalized world of higher education, university rankings are not only a matter of prestige, but they are also a tool that can significantly strengthen a university’s reputation, motivate stakeholders interested in higher education, support international partnerships, and increase the quality of scientific research and education. The great importance that universities from Central Europe attach to this issue is evident in the participation of representatives from a total of 39 universities from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.

The conference was opened by the Chairman of the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education, Prof. Jaroslav Miller. The conference participants gained detailed insight into the rankings by the prestigious international agencies QS and THE. In the case of QS, the World University Rankings, Subject Rankings, Regional Rankings, Best Student Cities, and Sustainability Rankings were presented. Within the World University Rankings, QS evaluates nearly 7,000 universities worldwide. QS Chief Consultant Veronica Omeni explained the evaluation methodology in detail, emphasizing in particular the importance of two key criteria that are crucial for a successful ranking. These are the Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation. According to the QS World University Rankings 2026, the best-ranked university from the V4 countries was the Charles University, which ranked 265th, the second was the University of Warsaw (271st place), and the third was Jagiellonian University (303rd place).

THE (Times of Higher Education) presented its two main rankings, namely THE World University Ranking (more than 3,000 universities from 136 countries are evaluated) and Sustainability Impact Ratings. In the THE World University Ranking, the results of scientific and research activities are given the most significant weight. This ranking also involves a global survey, in which respondents select the best universities in research and education. An important criterion is bibliometric data, which are drawn from the Scopus database. For 2026, the best-ranked universities in the Central European region were the Hungarian Semmelweis University (251-300th place), Charles University (401-500th place), and the Polish Jagiellonian University (501-600th place).

As part of the conference program, Elsevier’s Kiril Ivanov and Bartłomiej Wieckowski gave a presentation on research visibility and bibliometric intelligence, demonstrating how universities can leverage large-scale publication and citation data to boost their global profile. They showcased Elsevier’s analytics platforms, underscoring how insights into citation trends, open access publication impact, and collaborative networks can empower universities from the V4 region to enhance their ranking performance and scholarly reach. Their talk emphasised the strategic value of using bibliometric evidence as a tool not only for internal research management but also for communicating institutional strengths to policymakers, funders, and international partners.

The conference also featured a panel discussion on the topic of “Communication of scientific and research results,” and university representatives had the opportunity to benefit from individual consultations with experts from QS, THE, and Elsevier.

Prof. Hana Machková, VSE Vice-Rector for International Relations said: a high position in international rankings significantly strengthens the competitiveness of universities from the Central European region. Visibility in these rankings helps to attract top teachers and researchers, as well as high-quality national and international students.

Caleb House, the founder of CURG, said: University rankings pose a structural and ethical challenge to regions like Central Europe, which have long had their own definitions of excellence. The global influence of rankings means that university leadership must decide to adapt and overhaul their operations, or to actively find new ways to communicate their value internationally.