International university rankings reflect not only the institutions’ achievements but also the constantly evolving landscape of academic evaluation. The latest results show that the Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) remains visible in the international sport science arena by systematically improving its academic quality and expanding international collaboration.
In the ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments 2025, LSU ranked 166th (based on the 2020–2024 period). This ranking is compiled by evaluating the performance of several thousand higher education institutions; from approximately 30,000 universities worldwide, the 300 leading institutions in the field of sport science are selected and ranked.
Although LSU’s ranking is similar to that of recent years, Prof. Dr. Edmundas Jasinskas, Vice Rector for Research at LSU, emphasises that it should be viewed in a broader context, given the significant changes in the weights of individual evaluation criteria.
According to E. Jasinskas, the greatest influence on the ranking result was the increased importance of the citations per paper (CPP) indicator.
“The key factor today is not necessarily the number of publications, but rather their quality and impact. This is reflected in citations – that is, how many researchers reference your research,” – states the Vice Rector for Research at LSU.
Despite changes in the overall ranking, LSU maintains solid standing in key criteria. The university ranks among the top 100 in terms of the number of papers indexed (PUB) and international collaboration (IC), with the latter remaining one of LSU’s most notable strengths; in this criterion, the university ranked 61st in the world.
International cooperation is becoming an increasingly important part of modern science:
“We aim to bring together a critical mass of researchers and collaborate with the leading partners in our field. This allows us not only to expand the scope of our research but also to ensure its quality,” – says E. Jasinskas.
In the last few years, LSU has been systematically improving the quality of its top-tier scientific publications. The university is increasing the number of papers in the highest-ranked journals, which have the greatest impact on scientific progress and visibility within the international community.
LSU Rector Prof. Dr. Diana Rėklaitienė underlines that the university is consistently moving towards improving quality:
“Recently, the focus has shifted from just the number of papers to their quality. We are seeing a clear increase in the number of articles published in the highest-ranked journals,” – highlights D. Rėklaitienė.
According to the Rector, the “University Excellence Initiative” has also provided a significant boost in this area by creating more opportunities for joint research with foreign partners. Such projects not only enhance the quality of research but also increase its visibility and citation indices.
The main research fields developed at LSU include physical education and wellbeing, athlete training technologies, sport and tourism management, and research on muscles, motor control, and health promotion. These fields reflect the university’s commitment to advancing innovative research that is relevant to society and to contributing to the development of sport and wellness both in Lithuania and internationally.
