VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO) has made a significant leap of more than 200 places in the latest edition of the prestigious international Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (THE WUR 2027), published today. Among a record 2,297 institutions from 118 countries, VSB-TUO is ranked in the 1001–1200 band, its best result in at least the past five years. In the Czech comparison, VSB-TUO shares fifth place among the 18 universities ranked, having shared seventh place last year.
“Moving up to a higher position in the international rankings, with a record number of institutions ranked this year, confirms that the changes we have initiated in recent years are delivering results. Through strategic projects, we have significantly strengthened our research teams, attracted a number of leading experts from abroad to Ostrava and invested in modern research infrastructure. At the same time, we are transforming the University into a living laboratory where leading scientists, students and companies work closely together, and where new knowledge can be translated into practice more quickly,” said Igor Ivan, Rector of VSB-TUO.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is one of the most respected global university rankings. It is based on an evaluation of five pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry and International Outlook. In this year’s edition, after three years in the 1201–1500 band, VSB-TUO has moved up to the 1001–1200 band.
As in the previous year, VSB-TUO’s best result was in the International Outlook pillar, which evaluates the proportion of international students and academic staff, as well as international co-authorship of publications. VSB-TUO’s score has increased year-on-year from 55.4 to 56.7, ranking eighth among Czech universities.
“The results confirm VSB-TUO’s strong international orientation and our involvement in the international academic community, both in education and research. Since 2021, we have managed to increase the number of European projects by 127 per cent, the number of international researchers has almost quadrupled, and the number of international stays by students and staff is also growing,” the Rector added.
Of the five pillars, VSB-TUO has recorded its largest year-on-year improvement in Research Quality, which focuses on citation impact, research strength and excellence, as well as research influence on further scientific knowledge. The University's score increased from 38.5 last year to 46.8 this year, an improvement of more than eight points. There has also been an improvement in Teaching, where the University has increased its score by 4.5 points to 30.1, ranking fifth among Czech universities. VSB-TUO has also strengthened its position in the Industry pillar, which reflects knowledge transfer and cooperation with companies. Its score has increased from 48.5 to 50.8, placing it sixth among Czech universities. VSB-TUO holds its best position in the Czech comparison in the Research Environment pillar, where it ranks fourth. This year, it has achieved a score of 22.9, two points higher than the previous year.
As in the previous year, 18 Czech universities have made it into the global ranking. Charles University has retained its position as the leading Czech university, ranking 451–500, followed by Masaryk University (601–650). Third place is shared by the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and the University of Hradec Králové, both ranked in the 801–1000 band. VSB-TUO shares fifth place with the Czech Technical University in Prague and Palacký University Olomouc. The global ranking is once again led by the University of Oxford, for the eleventh consecutive year. It is followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while Princeton University and Stanford University share third place. The leading Asian university, China’s Tsinghua University, has overtaken Switzerland’s ETH Zurich to take 11th place, narrowly missing out on a place in the top ten. The highest-ranked Asian university has therefore now overtaken the highest-ranked university in continental Europe.
The bibliometric data used for the THE WUR 2027 evaluation come from Elsevier’s Scopus database. Approximately one-third of the overall score is based on THE’s Academic Reputation Survey, which contributes to the Teaching Reputation and Research Reputation indicators, while other indicators are derived from data provided by universities. The results are available at Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
