UrFU Improves Positions in Ranking of Scientific Productivity

13:57, May 21, 2018

The biggest growth was achieved in economics, materials science, chemistry, Earth sciences, humanities, social sciences and computer sciences

Ural Federal University was able to show serious advancement in the new ranking of scientific productivity of Russian universities by EXPERT analytical center. This has been the third wave of the survey, the methodology of which is developed by the leaders of Russia’s best universities, experts in scientometrics and Elsevier specialists. According to the authors, this allowed to develop a ranking that is now one of the most high-quality instrument for analysis and assessment of publication activities for over 100 higher educational institutions.

In total, 14 subject areas were analyzed in 2018. UrFU shows the biggest progress in Social Sciences rising from 20th to 8th position. Growth was also reported in Economics (5th position), Materials Science (8th position), Chemistry (8th position), Computer Sciences (10th position), Earth Sciences (8th position) and Humanities (10th position). In 2018, medicine was included in the ranking for the first time – here UrFU took the 15th position.

Rector of Ural Federal University Victor Koksharov is sure that Russian universities need rankings that allow them to take a fresh look at research activities and conduct their fine tuning.

"Over the past five years, the number of Russian publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases has increased by 80 percent," says Victor Koksharov. “By the average annual dynamics, we outrun all developed countries and the BRICS countries. The universities participating in the "5-100" program show even more impressive figures: they managed to increase the number of articles by three and a half times, and the share in the total volume of publications from 17 to 34 per cent. On the one hand, this is an excellent result. It allowed the universities to become visible internationally. On the other hand, we must pay close attention to the quality of the demonstrated growth".

The UFU rector also emphasizes: today the world scientific community understands that fixation on numerical indicators is a dead-end way. Leading Russian universities are reviewing the policy in the field of publishing activity, introducing mechanisms aimed at supporting quality articles. At the same time, there are changes in the methodology for evaluating higher education institutions. According to Victor Koksharov, the variety of ratings should grow. This will allow us to look at the activities of universities from a new angle.

"For many years, Russian universities had only a few points of reference: QS, THE, ARWU. But they are all imperfect. QS, for example, puts great emphasis on reputational indicators. And we know cases when a university was able to seriously improve its positions in several subjects only due to close work with several experts (the number and quality of publications did not change). We need regional, objective, focusing rankings which would allow us to compare faculties. And from this point of view, I fully support the emergence of new domestic rankings”, Victor Koksharov said.