The results of international university ranking QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 were announced today. This ranking evaluates and compares universities by various research and subject areas. This year only three Lithuanian universities are ranked in this ranking. They are ranked in 4 subject areas and 7 subject groups.
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) has been ranked in 4 subject areas and 2 subject groups. VGTU stays strong in Engineering – Civil & Structural subject group for several consecutive years, and ranks at 101-150 place. VGTU is the only university in the Baltic States at such a high position in the area of Civil Engineering sciences. In the subject of Architecture / Built Environment VGTU also stands at 101-150 place. In the subject area of Engineering and Technology VGTU ranks at 329 place. In addition to this, the university is also ranked in Business & Management Studies (201-250 place). The biggest change is achieved in subjects of Economics & Econometrics. VGTU is ranked higher by 100 positions and now is at 201-250 place (301–350 place in 2017) among top world universities. In the subject area of Social Sciences and Management VGTU moved up from 340 place to 315. These results are the best not only in Lithuania, but also in the Baltic States.
“VGTU is very strong in subject areas of Civil Engineering and Architecture not only in Lithuania, but also in the Baltic States. Meanwhile, improving ranking positions in Social Sciences is the outcome of strong focus on the University’s goals. Social sciences are different at VGTU: this subject area is strongly intertwined with and is based on technologies. Today it is vital when we speak about areas such as FinTech or LegalTech. It is highly valued and recognized worldwide, and also reflects in the results of international rankings. Our aim is to is not only to maintain the leading role, but also to keep on improving our results in international rankings,” VGTU Rector Prof. Dr. Alfonsas Daniūnas comments on the results of the rankings.
Prof Dr Jelena Stankevičienė, Dean of the Faculty of Business Management, says that such changes as the fourth industrial revolution, the new era of FinTech and blockchain means that every university’s graduate in addition to good knowledge of their area of studies should also understand the impact of technological solutions on society. “Society needs people who master both STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and social sciences. Leading technical universities also have very strong business, economics and management schools. VGTU, as a leading university in sciences of technology in Lithuania and in the Baltic states, is strengthening its positions in subject areas of business studies and economics. It clearly reflects in the QS rankings,” says J. Stankevičienė.
VU is also listed in the rankings under the following subject areas: Linguistics (151-200 place), Physics & Astronomy (251-300 place), Natural Sciences (400 place), Arts and Humanities (401–450 place), Medicine (451–500 place), and Social Sciences and Management (451–500 place.).
KTU ranks 451-500 in the subject area of Engineering and Technologies.
“We should note that every year the ranking screens more universities than the previous year, and every year the competition for the best places is stronger; thus, maintaining the same position in the ranking or reaching better ranking positions is a very good result,” says Lidija Kraujalienė, Director of Strategic Planning, Quality Management and Analysis Centre.
This year’s QS World University Rankings by Subject features a record 48 subjects in 5 subject areas. The screening process covered over 4 500 universities, and only 1 130 higher education institutions have been ranked (1 117 in 2017). This ranking uses only external data sources and databases of scientific publications. The criteria for evaluation covered reputation among academics, reputation among employers, citations attributions, and H-index.
