Rankings matter and tell an important part of a university’s story, but only a part — they are quantitative statistical tools that aggregate publications and perceived standing while often missing historical, cultural and geographical context. A common critique is the dominance of Anglo-Saxon universities, which raises the question of whether Central European continental universities should try to imitate them or define their own mission and pathway. The tentative answer is 'it depends’: be inspired by the best and compete on research outputs, teaching quality and socio-economic engagement, but stay realistic about one’s actual position. Excellence should always be assessed contextually — tracking how a university progresses over time and comparing it with institutions of similar historical backdrops, rather than copy-pasting solutions from the top-ranked ones.