Shanghai Ranking: Charles University among 1.5 percent of world’s best universities

Prague, August 16 (ČTK), By: kli mkv

According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University, Charles University ranks among 1.5 percent of world’s best universities. It came 201^st to 300^th out of 17,000 universities worldwide, Charles University spokesman Václav Hájek told the ČTK news agency. The ranking compares higher education institutions worldwide according to their science and research performance, with US universities coming top of the list.

“This ranking has confirmed the dominant position of our university among Czech institutions. In the past five years, it has regularly been listed among the world’s best universities,” Rector Václav Hampl said, adding that Charles University was the only Czech institution included in the first 500.

The ranking was dominated by US universities. Besides the best-ranked Harvard University, another 16 institutions placed among the best 20, for example Yale, Princeton, Berkeley and Stanford universities. Among non-US institutions, the British University of Cambridge secured 5^th position; Oxford came 10^th and University College London was ranked 20^th.

Compared to universities from Central and Eastern Europe, Charles University was overtaken only by the Lomonosov Moscow State University at 74^th place; Saint Petersburg State University placed similarly to Charles University. Charles University Rector Václav Hampl says his school’s ambition is to make it into the first 200. “Unfortunately, it is obvious that universities in Central and Eastern Europe have much smaller financial resources than Western European ones. Not to mention American or Japanese institutions,” he added.

The oldest and largest Czech university currently runs 17 faculties and has almost 54,000 students.

The specialized centre of Shanghai University has been ranking the world’s best universities for a number of years. The schools are evaluated for example according to the number of Nobel Prize winners and other laureates among their lecturers and alumni or according to the number of articles published by their experts in prestigious science journals. The Shanghai rating is regarded as one of the most influential international university rankings.