MEPhI improves its positions in QS rating rising by 30 points
10.06.2017

The British agency Quacquarelli Symonds has published another rating of the best universities in the world QS World University Rankings. Its full version had 965 educational institutions, including 24 Russian universities.

MEPhI occupied the 373th line of the rating, having risen by 30 positions in comparison with the previous year.

It is worth noting that the university demonstrates confident positive dynamics. In 2015/2016 the university was a part of the group "501-550", last year – in the group "401-410". At the same time, the University rose from the 5th place to the 4th place among the participants of the Project 5-100.

MEPhI rector Mikhail Strikhanov connects improvement of the university's positions with the participation of the university in the 5-100 Project. "Over the years of participation in this project, the average score of MEPhI entrants has sharply increased," said Mikhail Strikhanov, adding that he is proud that “today the best graduates of Russian schools are entering the university, many of whom are winners of the Olympiads”.

"Most of the foreign students of MEPhI came from the countries of the State Corporation Rosatom, which occupies leading positions in the nuclear sphere in the world," the rector said, stressing that the university contributes to the development of the Russian economy by teaching foreign students.

According to his estimates, due to the increase in the qualification requirements for the teaching staff and the use of modern teaching methods in the university, the quality of students' training has increased.

MEPhI vice-rector Tatyana Leonova believes that the positive dynamics of the university in the world QS rating testifies to the growing demand for engineering education. "If several years ago it was difficult for such a closed university as the MEPhI to enter the international market, now we have learned to accumulate decades of achievements in the right way, thus showing a high level of engineering education in Russia."

The results of the next rating of the best universities of the world QS were presented on June, 8 in the press center of MIA "Rossiya segodnya" during the video bridge Moscow-London-Vladivostok. The briefing was attended by rectors and vice-rectors of the leading Russian universities, the regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia QS Zoya Zaytseva joined the videoconference from London, and the head of the project "Social Navigator" Natalia Tyurina from Vladivostock.

The new rating confirms that Russian universities continue to strengthen their positions, and Project 5-100 - to give results as practically all participants of the program showed positive dynamics. "Russian universities are demonstrating noticeable progress in the QS rating, with 24 Russian universities entering the 1000 best universities of the world, two of them for the first time. At the same time, 14 universities have advanced to higher levels," Zoya Zaitseva noted.

The expert of the rating company considers improving bibliometric indicators, increasing the recognition of universities in expert surveys, both academic and employers' polls as the main reasons for such a rapid "upward movement". On these parameters, the greatest increase in the scores of higher education institutions took place.

In addition, Zoya Zaitseva sees a direct link between the promotion of Russian universities in the world ranking and participation in the "5-100" program, which implies the orientation of Russian universities to international competitiveness, closer interaction with foreign universities and partners - this "undoubtedly highlights the recognizability of the Russian brand universities and reflects progress in the global space."

Representatives of leading Russian universities expressed unanimous opinion that the victory in the ratings, in particular in QS, is not an end, but the rating is a mirror that reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the university, which gives an additional impetus to the development of those areas where there are shortcomings, and also makes us think not only about our own private tasks, but also about how these tasks are relevant from the point of view of the world agenda.

"Most of the universities participating in the 5-100 program have recently demonstrated progress at the world level," Zoya Zaitseva said and expressed her hope that more Russian universities will appear in the top-100 and top-150 universities by 2025.