BUT received highest grade in research evaluation. It has reaffirmed its position among top research universities in Czechia

The Brno University of Technology achieved the highest rating (Grade A) in the national evaluation of research organizations according to the 2017+ Methodology, achieving the highest rating of A. During the second five-year cycle, BUT has advanced and confirmed its position among the best research universities in the country. This result is of fundamental importance not only in terms of prestige but also for the university’s funding.

Improving the university’s research ranking was a key strategic goal and a central focus of the new university leadership’s program during its first term.

“We have devoted all our attention to this goal. At the university level and especially across all our faculties, we have established parameters, adjusted methodologies for measuring performance and the quality of research results—including a new methodology for allocating funding within the budget—and directed our university’s efforts toward the continuous improvement of research results and their quality and relevance. We established the International Scientific Advisory Board and involved it in the internal evaluation. “We have identified strategic research areas in which we are truly competitive on an international level, pooled our resources across the university, and enhanced the quality of collaboration at the interfaculty and interdisciplinary levels,” stated BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček, adding:

“We also had the courage to open up and, on our own initiative, undergo an extensive international research evaluation, which helped us identify both our potential and areas for improvement and direct our efforts toward improving our results. Above all, however, we have placed emphasis on supporting and motivating our people—academic and research staff, as well as doctoral students—who are the driving force behind our research and its excellence. We have devoted considerable effort to systematically creating motivating conditions and developing a high-quality research environment,” added the rector.

Dedication and coordinated cooperation on the path to achieving results

“We have had the incredible experience of truly absolute unity and alignment of approach with all our faculties and institutes. And so, regardless of this achieved evaluation—which I am truly delighted with—I am immensely proud of our academic and research staff, as well as our doctoral students, who contribute more than one-third of the achieved research results. I sincerely thank everyone for this coordinated effort and our united, systematic, and purposeful approach. I would also like to thank the leadership of our faculties and institutes, who provided a unified direction for everyone’s efforts. This is a testament to the mutual trust and perfect understanding of the power of collective will at our university. I would also like to express my special thanks to the Vice Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer and his team for the conceptual coordination of all activities and for bringing our joint effort to a successful conclusion,” concluded the Rector of BUT.

International evaluation as a key moment

The evaluation took place in 2025 and was completed in the spring of 2026. It was carried out by the International Evaluation Panel composed of eleven experts from renowned European institutions.

The panel was led by Petr Noskievič, former vice-rector of VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava. Its members included, for example, Alan Chalmers, professor of visualization at the University of Warwick; Salvador Pané i Vidal, professor of materials for robotics at ETH Zürich; and Elīna Gaile-Sarkane, vice-rector for academic affairs at Riga Technical University.

The panel first reviewed the university’s extensive self-evaluation report and subsequently visited BUT. During the four-day visit, it met with university leadership, faculty, academic staff, and students, and assessed the quality of the research environment on-site. Additionally, several other meetings took place online.

“I am very pleased that we were able to prepare very well for the evaluation and pull together, both at the university-wide level and across all faculties and departments. A number of measures we implemented in the previous period also contributed to the successful evaluation. Among the most significant was two-stage internal research evaluation in 2023 and 2024 under the leadership of the International Scientific Advisory Board, which provided us with very relevant feedback,” said Martin Weiter, Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer.

The strength of the university as a whole and in its constituent parts

One of the key conclusions of the evaluation is that BUT achieves high quality across its activities and fields of study. The highest rating was awarded not only to the university as a whole but also to most of its constituent parts, confirming balanced and systematic development across the institution.

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The evaluation panel particularly commended:

• the high quality of scientific results and the growing international impact of publications,
• the strong link between basic and applied research,
• intensive collaboration with industry and the public sector,
• the ability to respond to current global challenges, such as sustainability, digitalization, and the energy transition,
• systematic support for young researchers and the development of research infrastructure.

The university’s ability to improve its results over the long term and respond to recommendations from the previous evaluation period was also positively assessed. At the same time, the results show that BUT is not only strong in individual fields, but above all as a whole – thanks to interdisciplinary connections, cooperation between university units, and an emphasis on strategic research management.

Significance for funding and further development

The evaluation result is of fundamental importance not only in terms of prestige but also funding. It serves as one of the main bases for the allocation of institutional support to universities.

“This result has a direct impact on the future development of BUT. It confirms our quality and simultaneously strengthens our position in securing institutional support and international projects,” emphasized Vice-Rector Martin Weiter. The evaluation result is also an important signal to partners in both the academic and applied spheres that BUT is a stable and high-quality institution capable of conducting cutting-edge research with real-world impact.

Feedback as the Foundation for Further Progress

In addition to the evaluation itself, the evaluation report also includes specific recommendations for further development. These concern, for example, strengthening international cooperation, participation in prestigious research projects, and the further development of technology transfer.

Thus, BUT not only receives confirmation of its quality but also clear guidance for its strategic direction in the coming years. The next round of the national evaluation of universities is scheduled for 2030.

International Evaluation Panel and National University Evaluation on the BUT website