The criteria for rating the educational programs of higher education institutions of the Kyrgyz Republic should consist of evaluations grouped around six main groups of criteria:

●      Academic reputation

●      Employer reputation

●      Quality of teaching

●      Research citations per article

●      Hirsch Index

●      International research network (faculty wide areas)

Academic reputation

The ranking methodology determines a survey of 200 leading academics in each field. Based on the responses of academics, this indicator shows which universities other academics consider to be the best for research in a given field. The survey results are then filtered according to the narrow area of expertise specified by the respondents.

 Employer Reputation

A survey of 100 leading employers in each industry will determine each program's reputation among the professional community. The employer reputation indicator is based on responses to employer surveys. Employers are asked to identify the institutions they consider ideal for hiring graduates. They are also asked to identify the disciplines from which they prefer to recruit.

Quality of teaching

The teaching quality indicator is the sum of the results of various indicators - the ratio of teachers to students, the number of full-time teachers, the number of teachers with academic degrees and titles, the availability of laboratories, computer classes, etc.

Research citations per article

All citation data are taken from Elsevier Scopus. A minimum publication threshold is set for each topic to avoid potential anomalies associated with a small number of highly cited articles.

Both the minimum publication threshold and the weight applied to the citation rate are adapted to best reflect the prevailing publication and citation patterns in the discipline.

Hirsch Index

The Hirsch Index is a way of measuring both the productivity and influence of a faculty member or department in a university. The index is based on a set of a scholar's most cited papers and the number of citations he or she has received in other publications.

International Research Network (by broad faculty area)

The IRN Index reflects the ability of institutions to diversify the geography of their international research network by establishing sustainable research partnerships with other institutions of higher education.

The allocation of points will be done on a program-by-program basis and will be established prior to each ranking by a separate order.

The list of criteria may also change in accordance with changes in the methodology of international rankings or stakeholder recommendations.

The assessment is carried out using a computer program developed for this rating, as well as through the largest-scale survey among teachers and employers, which ensures maximum objectivity and comprehensiveness of the rating. Objectivity is ensured by a special rating commission headed by reputable and respected scientists or political figures, or authoritative opinion leaders of the Kyrgyz Republic.