Overview

CURG (Czech Universities Ranking Group), in cooperation with QS, THE, and Elsevier, will organize the regional conference on CEE Universities Ranking Strategies. This conference will occur in Prague on November 3 and 4, 2025. The conference will be hosted by VŠE/Prague University of Economics and Business.

In today’s globalized education landscape, international rankings have become more than just a badge of honor for universities—they are strategic tools that influence reputation, recruitment, partnerships, and continuous improvement. High placement in international rankings signals academic excellence and institutional credibility. Visibility in rankings can improve the competitiveness of Central European universities on the educational market, making it more attractive to students, faculty, and partners worldwide. Prospective students—especially international candidates—often rely on rankings to guide their application decisions. A strong position in global rankings helps universities attract top talent from diverse backgrounds, enriching the classroom experience and fostering a multicultural learning environment.

Rankings often reflect research output, faculty qualifications, and academic influence. This visibility helps attract high-caliber faculty and researchers, who in turn contribute to the universities´ intellectual capital and global standing.

Conference participants will also meet Elsevier managers, which offers a wide range of benefits for researchers and academic institutions. As one of the world’s leading scientific publishers and data analytics companies, its platforms and services support the entire research lifecycle.

CURG

Agenda

Monday, November 3, 2025

9:00 Check-in and refreshments (2nd floor, Rajská Building)
9:30 Conference opening and welcome speech

Chairman of the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education (room RB 209)

prof. Mgr. Jaroslav Miller, M.A., Ph.D.

10:00 QS Intelligence Unit

Analysis of Czech and central European Universities’ Performance in QS Rankings (room RB 209)


Veronica Omeni, Principal Consultant, QS Intelligence Unit

12:00 Lunch

Academic Club, Italská Building

13:30 THE/Times Higher Education

Analysis of Czech and Central European Universities in THE Rankings (room RB 209)

Lewis Tuthill, Regional Director

15:30 Coffee Break
16:00 Round table discussion

Research communication strategy best practices (room RB 209)

Moderator: Caleb Daniel House

Panelists: prof. József Betlehem, University of Pecs (Vice-Rector for General Affairs, Connections and Strategic Affairs), prof. Martin Lukeš, VSE/Prague University of Economics and Business (Vice-Rector for Science, Research and Doctoral Studies), doc. Radomír Masaryk, Comenius University in Bratislava (Vice-Rector for External Relations), prof. Tomasz Shapiro, SGH/Warsaw School of Economics (former Rector of SGH)

18:00 Dinner
Academic Club, Italská Building

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

9:00 Elsevier

Academic, Industry, and Societal Impact of Research: Global & CEE Perspectives (room RB 209)

Kirill Ivanov, Customer Success Manager for Academic & Government Clients in Central and Eastern Europe

Participants will benefit from the trial access to SciVal for two weeks

11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 - 15:00 Individual meetings with QS, THE and Elsevier

QS and THE meetings – room Quattro Modulare (Italská Building)

Elsevier meeting – room RB 103 (1st floor, Rajská Building)

11,30 - 12,00

Case Studies – Best Practices in Ranking Strategy (room RB 209)

Ondřej Durkáč, ČVUT/Czech Technical University in Prague (University Rankings Coordinator), Caleb Daniel House, UK/Charles University (Counsellor Communications Coordinator and International Student Advisor), Hana Machková, VSE/Prague University of Economics and Business (Vice-Rector for International Relations)

12,00 - 12,45

AI the Game of Changemakers (room RB 209)

Paul Čejka, Chief Commercial Officer, Revolt BI

13:00 Lunch

Academic Club, Italská Building

Event Location, Travel and Hotel

Event Location

VSE/Prague University of Economics and Business

Address: W. Churchill Sq. 4, Praha 3, 130 67 Czech Republic

Conference room: Rajská budova (Paradise Building), 2nd floor, room RB 209

Travel

Prague is very well-connected and can be easily reached by plane to Václav Havel Airport and by train to Praha Main Train Station.

The connection between Václav Havel Airport Prague and Prague city center takes about 45 minutes by taxi and about 60 minutes by public transport bus lines connecting to subway (“metro”) lines, operating at regular short intervals. There is also a direct Airport Express line operating between Václav Havel Airport and the Main Train Station (Hlavní nádraží). Bus stops are located directly in front of terminals. The Main Train Station is about 5-minute walk from VSE/Prague University of Economics and Business and 10 minutes from Prague downtown (Wenceslas square/Václavské náměstí).

Note that Uber is the official taxi service of the Prague Airport and that the Prague public transportation has been steadily ranked as one of the best in the world. You can buy a public transport ticket using the yellow machines at each metro stop and at selected tram/bus stops (card payment possible), or you can download the easy-to-use app for Android or iOS. The pricing is detailed here.

Hotel Recommendations

There are many options as VSE is located in the city center, from which the university is accessible by walk (15–20 minutes) or by tram 5, 9, 15 and 26, as well as by subway (to Hlavní nádraží, line C – the red line).

Participants are responsible for making their own hotel reservation. The cost of the hotel room is not included in the registration fee.

Conference Registration Form

Please register by 17 October 2025.

Register now

 

Conference Fee & Payment

Fee: 150 EUR/ 3 500 CZK

Payment can be done by the credit/debit card or by bank wire transfer.

Bank account: 1828782/0800

Variable code: 901815

Bank: Česká spořitelna, a.s.
IBAN: CZ21 0800 0000 0000 0182 8782
SWIFT (BIC code): GIBACZPX

ID No: 613 84 399
VAT No: CZ61384399

 

Contacts

Pavel Kolesár

VŠE/Prague University of Economics and Business

Head of VSE Event Centre

T: +420 602 108 121
E: pavel.kolesar@vse.cz

Hana Machková

VŠE/Prague University of Economics and Business

Vice-Rector for International Relations

E: hana.machkova@vse.cz

Caleb House

Charles University
Counsellor Communications Coordinator and International Student Advisor

E: caleb.house@ruk.cuni.cz