Iran boosts representation on world’s top 2% scientists list

Samad Nejad-Ebrahimi, director general of the Office for Research Policy and Planning at Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, announced an increase in the number of Iranian researchers featured in the international ranking.

He said the number of Iranian researchers included in the one-year list reached 2,678 in 2026.

Data from recent years show a steady increase, from 1,154 researchers in 2020 to 1,701 in 2021, 1,941 in 2022, 2,137 in 2023, 2,336 in 2024, 2,514 in 2025 and 2,678 in 2026.

According to Nejad-Ebrahimi, this trend reflects the considerable potential of Iran’s scientific workforce and the international presence of Iranian researchers. He noted that part of the country’s scientific community has achieved significant positions in citation-based indicators and research impact.

He added that the 2,678 Iranian researchers on the one-year list are affiliated with 241 universities and research institutions.

University of Tehran leads the one-year list

Nejad-Ebrahimi said the researchers were concentrated in some of the country’s leading universities. Among the 30 universities and institutions with the largest numbers of researchers on the list, the University of Tehran ranked first with 123 researchers, followed by Tehran University of Medical Sciences with 112, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences with 75, and Iran University of Science and Technology with 74.

Tabriz University of Medical Sciences had 66 researchers on the list, followed by Iran University of Medical Sciences with 64, the University of Tabriz with 61, and Tarbiat Modares University with 56.

More than threefold increase in the career-long category

Nejad-Ebrahimi also reported substantial growth in the career-long category of the ranking. The number of Iranian researchers included in this list rose from 433 in 2020 to 1,380 in 2026, representing an increase of more than threefold.

The figures for 2021 through 2025 were 654, 740, 867, 1,018 and 1,194, respectively.

He said the 1,380 researchers in the career-long category were affiliated with 276 universities and scientific institutions across Iran. The 30 institutions with the largest numbers of listed researchers accounted for 794 researchers, or 57.5% of the total.

The University of Tehran ranked first, with 91 researchers, followed by Sharif University of Technology with 53. Amirkabir University of Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences each had 48, while Iran University of Science and Technology had 45.

Nejad-Ebrahimi added that the top 10 universities accounted for 466 researchers, or 33.8% of the total, while the top 20 accounted for 658, equivalent to 47.7%.

In terms of institutional categories, state-run universities had the largest share, with 657 researchers, or 47.6%. Medical sciences universities accounted for 522 researchers, or 37.8%, while Islamic Azad University had 162 researchers, representing 11.7%.

Research quality should remain the ultimate priority

Nejad-Ebrahimi explained that the World’s Top 2% Scientists list is compiled using citation data and comparisons among researchers across different scientific fields and subfields. It identifies researchers whose citation impact places them among the top 2% worldwide. The assessment takes into account indicators such as citation counts, the h-index and researchers’ contributions to scientific papers.

He stressed that although the growing number of Iranian researchers on international lists reflects the country’s scientific potential, increasing the number alone should not be the ultimate objective.

He said national science policy should focus simultaneously on improving research quality, increasing scientific impact, addressing national challenges, developing technology, and translating research findings into economic and social value.

Nejad-Ebrahimi described human capital as the most important component of the science, technology and innovation system. He said retaining and strengthening leading researchers and enabling them to make a meaningful impact should go hand in hand with developing research infrastructure and supporting the next generation of scientists.

He added that identifying influential researchers, providing targeted support and creating conditions for them to work effectively in the country are essential to strengthening Iran’s science, technology and innovation system and making the most of its human capital.

Emphasizing that the ultimate goal of the national research system should not be limited to improving the country’s position in international rankings, Nejad-Ebrahimi said Iran should use its scientific capacity to strengthen its position in the international scientific community, address national challenges, develop technology and increase the social and economic impact of research.

How the world’s top 2% scientists list is compiled

Known as the World’s Top 2% Scientists list, the ranking is compiled by Elsevier using citation data from the Scopus database. Researchers across different scientific disciplines and subfields are assessed using several indicators, including citation counts, the h-index and their contributions to scientific publications.

The list evaluates researchers in two categories: their performance over their entire scientific careers and their performance during a specific year.

The World’s Top 2% Scientists list should not be confused with Clarivate’s annual Highly Cited Researchers list. Clarivate uses data from the Web of Science Core Collection covering an 11-year period. In addition to quantitative indicators, its assessment includes qualitative evaluations and further reviews.

Clarivate’s 2025 list recognized 6,868 researchers across 21 scientific fields and an interdisciplinary category.

Therefore, inclusion in Elsevier’s/Scopus’s World’s Top 2% Scientists list and inclusion in Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list are separate distinctions and should not be treated as equivalent.