The QS World University Rankings is the world's most popular source for choosing a degree. Together with Times Higher Education and the Shanghai Ranking, it is one of the most prestigious international rankings. Last year, architecture at CTU returned to the top 240 architecture schools in the world after a six-year hiatus, and this year it has seen further success, moving up to 151st-200th place in the rankings alongside Graz University of Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and Technical University of Darmstadt.
"The shift in the ranking reflects the efforts of our teachers, researchers and students and is a confirmation of the improving level of teaching and research at our faculty. We are committed to the quality and international reputation of our faculty. It is important for us that our graduates are able to succeed in an international environment," says Dalibor Hlaváček, Dean of the CTU Faculty of Architecture.
The linking of theoretical and studio teaching and the interdisciplinary cooperation offered by the potential of three study fields - architecture and urbanism, landscape architecture and design - are among the priorities of the largest architectural school in the Czech Republic. At the same time, it plans to open a new Master's degree programme titled Planning and Development.
In recent years, over 120 foreign experts have been involved in teaching at CTU Faculty of Architecture, lecturing, leading studios or collaborating on research projects. Currently, Dutch architect Winy Maas, a partner in the MVRDV office and founder of The Why Factory research laboratory at TU Delft, is a visiting professor. From 2020, the faculty is part of the international EuroTeQ Engineering University project, which connects six European universities through virtual collaboration.
The good reputation is also supported by the results of cooperation with the public and private sector, for example in the form of design-build projects. Since 2011, 38 of them have been created at the school and almost 300 students have been involved in working on real assignments. Among their realisations is a prototype of an energy-saving house or a footbridge and a shelter in the Krkonoše National Park.
The QS Ranking has been compiled since 2004 by the QS consulting company and includes 1,500 institutions in 104 locations. It is ranked on the basis of criteria such as number of citations, international staff and students, or reputation among academics and employers. This year, the evaluation criteria have been expanded to include indicators of sustainability, employment performance and international research.