“Our long-term goal is to create a university that is not only a high-quality educational and research centre but also an institution that sets an example of responsible environmental and social practices. We aim to further strengthen the role of sustainability in teaching and research, reduce the ecological footprint of our campuses, and develop infrastructure that supports a healthy, inclusive, and safe environment. These results are not the ultimate goal but rather a motivation to continue efforts that have a lasting positive impact on our University and Region,” said Marcel Šihor, Sustainability Manager at VSB-TUO.
UI GreenMetric 2025
The internationally recognised UI GreenMetric World University Rankings (WUR) 2025 evaluated 268 more universities than in the previous year. Its aim is to present the results of an online survey on current conditions and strategies in sustainability and institutional improvements at universities worldwide.
“Globally, VSB-TUO placed 374th, which represents a significant improvement compared to last year’s 482nd position. The University also strengthened its standing nationally, now ranking third among seven Czech universities, moving up one position year on year,” said Kateřina Angus, International Evaluation and Rankings Officer at VSB-TUO.
Initiated in 2010 by Universitas Indonesia, the UI GreenMetric ranking evaluates universities’ approach to sustainable development based on a range of indicators divided into six main categories: Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste Management, Water Management, Transportation, and Education and Research. Within the Czech Republic, VSB-TUO was ranked behind only the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague and Masaryk University. Globally, Wageningen University & Research from the Netherlands leads the ranking, followed by University College Cork from Ireland and Nottingham Trent University from the UK.
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026 (published in November 2025)
In the fourth edition of this ranking, 2,001 universities were included, 227 more than last year. To be eligible, universities must appear in a global, regional, or subject QS ranking. VSB-TUO has met this criterion for the third consecutive year. This year, 15 Czech universities were included in the ranking, three more than last year. VSB-TUO placed 878th overall, achieving a score of 56.2, compared to 840th place with a score of 48.4 in the previous year.
The QS Sustainability ranking is compiled using a combination of data submitted by universities, information from Elsevier, publicly available national statistics, and assessments by independent third parties. Universities are evaluated across three main areas: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance, encompassing nine thematic indicators and 52 individual metrics. VSB-TUO improved its score across all evaluated areas year on year.
“Our strongest performance, as in the previous year, was in the Governance category, where we ranked 511th globally. This category assesses how universities apply principles of transparent, democratic, and inclusive leadership, with a focus on ethical decision-making, fair recruitment practices, and active student participation in institutional governance” explained Angus.
In the Environmental Impact category, VSB-TUO ranked 907th, achieving a score of 49.0, while in Social Impact it placed 1098th. Among individual thematic indicators, the University performed particularly well in Health and Wellbeing (845th globally, up from 1001+ range last year), Employability and Opportunities (885th globally), and Equality (921st globally).
Text: Martina Šaradínová