BelSU Among Top Performers in 2024 Integral Communications Efficiency Rating

This roundtable, focused on the implementation of communication strategies by Russian universities, brought together representatives from the press services of the leading institutions identified in the past year’s rating. The Integral Communications Efficiency Rating was established by the Brand Analytics social and traditional media analysis system in collaboration with the Social Navigator project of MIA Rossiya Segodnya.

Marina Usenkova, Head of the Media Communications Department, represented Belgorod State University at the event. Participants discussed current trends in university communication strategies as captured by big data analytics systems monitoring both social and traditional media. They reviewed best practices for promoting science and technology, engaging audiences across various social media platforms, and shared insights on how universities contribute to regional development.

Vasily Cherny, Director of Strategic Communications at Brand Analytics, highlighted the significance of the rating. He explained that the ranking system combines audience engagement metrics on university platforms, representation in popular science publications, and visibility in media and social media. This comprehensive approach allows for a clearer understanding of universities’ interactions with all stakeholders in the educational process and assesses audience reactions to university-initiated communications.

“Participation in the rating fosters greater information transparency among higher education institutions. It enables a thorough evaluation of communication effectiveness with key target audiences, including prospective students, current students, the academic community, media representatives, and industry partners,” emphasized Vasily Cherny.

During the event, both the Integrated Rating of University Communication Effectiveness and the Regional Rankings by University Media Activity for 2024 were presented. Analyzing the results, Natalya Tyurina, Head of the Education and Social Projects Department at MIA Rossiya Segodnya, noted a significant increase in the visibility of Russian universities in both national and global information spaces over the past three years.

“More universities are actively promoting science and technology, and innovations developed within these institutions are garnering increasing media attention. As awareness grows, representatives from manufacturing enterprises are initiating partnership projects with universities, positively impacting various sectors of the economy,” stated Natalya Tyurina.

She also pointed out that while the leaders of federal and regional agendas have remained largely consistent in recent years, some regional universities are beginning to close the gap. This year’s regional rankings featured notable institutions such as Altai State University, Astrakhan State University, Belgorod State University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, and Kemerovo State University among the leaders.

This year, a total of 614 leading universities from across all regions of Russia, representing various types of ownership and departmental affiliations, were included in the Integral Rating of Communications Efficiency. Belgorod State University ranked among the TOP-25 in the regional rankings for university media activity, recognized as the best university in the region for promoting media efficiency in the Belgorod Region. Additionally, it secured 33rd place in the overall Integral Rating of Communications Efficiency.

Natalia Tyurina commented on the significance of the ratings, stating, “These results reflect how effectively university teams are implementing state initiatives to popularize science and technology. We hope our research will assist specialists in developing unified and integrated regional systems that promote science and technology while attracting young people to both scientific fields and higher education.”