Nearly all public universities and research institutions in Slovakia have recorded a significant improvement in the quality of science and artistic output compared to 2022, according to the results of the periodic evaluation of research, development, artistic, and other creative activities for 2020–2024 (VER 2026), presented on Monday by Education Minister Tomáš Drucker. The evaluation found that the overall quality of science and arts increased by 40% compared to the previous assessment.
The evaluation provides a comprehensive overview of the quality of creative activity at Slovak public universities and research institutions across 28 fields of research. According to the ministry, 169 international experts from 23 countries working at 88 universities and research institutions assessed Slovak science in an international context, reviewing 6,750 outputs and 10,000 employees, including scientific and artistic results, research environment, and societal impact.
“We did not record any significant decline compared to the previous measurement. We will continue evaluating schools based on results,” said Drucker, adding that ongoing reforms are already delivering results and are expected to bring further improvements in the future.
Almost all institutions showed notable growth compared to 2022, with the largest improvements recorded at the University of Economics in Bratislava (353%), the University of Žilina (348%), and the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (205%). Significant gains were also seen in specific fields such as civil engineering, architecture and transport (260%), law (213%), and psychology (192%).
According to State Secretary for Higher Education and Academic Research Róbert Zsembera, the VER 2026 results will determine “half of the funding for science and arts at public universities.” The periodic evaluation, which assesses Slovak universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, began in 2022 and is planned to continue in future cycles.
Source: TASR
