VMU – Top 700 University in the World
According to the 2012/2013 QS World University Rankings, VMU is among the top 700 best universities in the world.
The function of the QS World University Rankings is to recognize worthy universities for their achievements, all the while comparing them and informing the global community about their success, explained Professor Dr. Vilma Žydžiūnaitė, director of VMU‘s Centre for Quality and Innovations. She further clarified that “the rating is determined by the following criteria: quality of overall education, quality of professors, job potential of alumni, and international image.“
The rating for academic reputation is calculated by evaluating not only the quality of professors, but also their experience in the field, number of doctorates obtained, quality of dissertations published, and noteworthiness of their research.
In the list of QS World University Rankings, VMU is no stranger; it was ranked among the top 700 in 2010 and 2011 as well. “These are important first steps. The rating has helped to showcase the University’s various strengths and to confirm that our multi-faceted approach is working, that we’re on the right track,” VMU’s Rector Zigmas Lydeka remarked with a smile.
Since 2003, the QS World University Rankings has been recognized as one of the leading rating systems of higher education institutions around the world. Unique as it is respected, the QS system takes into account more than just test scores; it evaluates universities through a holistic lens. Among other aspects, it carefully considers the following: organizational culture, innovativeness, openness, approachability, and student-professor connection. “The rating also focuses on percentage of international students and staff. An achievement in this category often qualifies universities for evaluation by international experts,“ emphasized Prof. Dr. Žydžiūnaitė.
And it does not suffice for a university to merely volunteer information about itself, hoping to achieve a place on the prestigious list. The institution must be positively evaluated by a certain percentage of academics and employers before it can land a place in the top 700. This year, the ratings incorporated the opinions of over 46,000 academics and over 25,000 employers.
In total, the QS World University Rankings include about 2500 of the world’s most renowned institutions of higher learning. Every year, QS acknowledges and separately evaluates the top 700 individually. Vytautas Magnus University, for the third year in a row, is listed among these most prestigious universities in the world.
