Lithuanian University of Sport (LSU) is ranked a high 133rd place in the latest Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
Last year, LSU was ranked 126th, having risen by more than 80 positions in the last few years (208th in 2018 and 172nd in 2020).
LSU’s best performance is in the PUB (number of papers) category, where the country’s only specialised sports university ranks 66th. Moreover, LSU is now in the Top 100 in 4 out of 5 categories, compared to three categories in 2021.
“We are happy to be among the Top 100 best universities in 4 out of the 5 evaluation categories. When developing LSU’s strategy for the future, we are trying to focus not only on quantity, but also on quality, and we will work to improve the CPP [citations per paper] indicator over the next few years. Our goal is to reach the Top 100 in this indicator as well,” said Prof. Dr. Edmundas Jasinskas, LSU Vice-Rector of Research.
The lower position in the Shanghai ranking can be attributed to a change in the calculation methodology. While previously the CPP (citations per article) indicator was weighted at 25%, this year its weighting has increased to 30%.
There has also been a change in the calculation methodology for the TOP (number of articles in top-level journals) indicator, with the total weight dropping from 25% to 20%.
If the former calculation methodology were retained this year, LSU would be ranked in 121st position, rising by five positions compared to last year (126th in 2022).
“This is an acknowledgment of our international visibility, proving that we are not only the leaders in the Baltic States but also a very serious competitor to the world’s sports universities. Our presence in the Shanghai ranking is undoubtedly important for the development of future partnerships and for our visibility to potential international students,” said LSU Rector Professor Diana Rėklaitienė.
The Shanghai Specialised Ranking includes sport science universities and departments from around the world.
The panel of experts selects the 300 best universities out of thousands of academic institutions, based on their research performance and other key indicators. After an extensive analysis, these sports universities are ranked according to separate indicators and an overall ranking list is drawn.
This year’s Top 3 leading institutions are the University of Dickin (Australia), the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, and the University of Copenhagen (Denmark).
The current Shanghai ranking places LSU ahead of leading sport science universities from the USA, China, Brazil, Sweden, Austria, Great Britain, Croatia, and other countries around the world.
