Palacký University Shoots Up 80 Places in Prestigious International Ranking
Illustration photo: Pavel Konečný
In the ranking of the best world’s universities provided by The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), Palacký University Olomouc placed 724th, rising 80 places compared to last year’s CWUR ranking – the best improvement among the other four Czech universities included. The one thousand ranked universities represent a mere 3 percent of all the universities in the world.
“Palacký University and its scientific and educational activities are gaining increased attention, especially in the global context. It is one of the best evaluated Czech universities today. What is significant for us is that year by year, UP keeps placing higher in international rankings than many renowned institutions in Europe and in the world. Many ranking indicators are directly related to the size of a university, but Olomouc’s university, which is a rather small institution in global terms, is above standard,” said UP Rector Jaroslav Miller.
CWUR uses eight criteria to rank the world’s top 1000 universities. Besides those that typically focus on performance in science and research, it also includes indicators measuring the quality of education and alumni employment. Palacký University moved up 98 positions in the ranking in the category of Citations, measured by the number of highly-cited research papers. According to the number of international patent filings, UP was ranked as number 475, which is the best achievement among all Czech universities included in the CWUR. The upward movement in the h-index category is also very positive.
Although the ranking does not involve any immediate material benefits, the increasing prestige of Palacký University in the global context is what matters, according to the UP rector. “We cannot succeed only in the Czech Republic or Europe. A good result in the ranking is a token of appreciation of our work, motivation for further improvement, a confirmation that the course we have taken is correct and meaningful. Of course, we have to admit critically that there is still considerable room for improvement. We want to and we will work hard on ourselves,” emphasised Miller.
The top three global universities according to the CWUR, just like last year, are Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology from the United States of America. The universities in Cambridge and Oxford (global rank 4 and 5 respectively) have proven to be European leaders once again. The ranking includes only five Czech universities, the best of which was Charles University in Prague.
In addition to the CWUR ranking, Olomouc’s university has also placed in the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Ranking. As one of the three Czech schools there, it occupied the 488th position in 2014. Palacký University was also successful in the recently published CWTS Leiden Ranking 2015.
The complete list of CWUR 2015 – World University Rankings is available HERE.
