For the First Time Samara University Has Entered the Subject Ranking of THE in Physics

For the first time Samara National Research University has been included in the International Subject Ranking in the field of "Physical Sciences", annually compiled by the British edition Times Higher Education (THE). These data were announced on November, 7 in Moscow as part of the Times Higher Education Research Excellence Summit "Transformation Towards World-Class Research in the Natural Sciences", hosted in partnership with Russia’s National University of Science and Technology (MISIS). In this area Samara University is located in the group of universities, ranked from 501 to 600 among 963 universities in the world.

On that day Times Higher Education presented the results of four THE subject rankings: Life Sciences; Physical Sciences; Psychology; Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Health. 

This year 26 Russian universities, 16 of which are the participants of the program for improving the competitiveness "5-100", have been included in the Subject Ranking in the direction of "Physical Sciences". For the first time, along with Samara University the international experts included FEFU, NSU, NUST MISIS, RUDN, UrFU and Lobachevsky University into this field of THE Subject Ranking.

Vice-Rector for Educational and Foreign Affairs of Samara University Vladimir Bogatyrev emphasizes that historically, Samara University was established as a sectoral institution connected with strategic sectors of the Russian economy, first of all, aviation and space. 

"Because of a certain closure of these areas, the leading scientific schools and groups of our university were focused on domestic scientific journals, the scientific and professional community for many years. Participation in Project 5-100 allowed Samara University to review its development strategy and reorient its work to promote the results of its research in the international arena and build effective collaborations with foreign scientists, – the Vice-Rector notes. – Due to the sectoral specialization of our university and the region in general, Engineering, Mathematics and Physics were developing most dynamically here. As a result of the unification of the leading scientific schools, Samara University has acquired a great number of new interdisciplinary areas. As a result, many of our projects aimed at solving extraordinary engineering problems are supported by an extensive programme of basic research in topical and promising scientific fields. It is important to emphasize that now our scientists do not simply rely on the unique experience and achievements of predecessors, but today Samara University conducts relevant research, the results of which are published in prestigious scientific journals and are actively quoted by foreign colleagues".

According to Vladimir Bogatyrev, today we can see how these areas are beginning to promote Samara University in the leading subject rankings.

It should be noted, that in 2017, Samara University was located in the group of universities ranked from 450 to 500 in the direction of  "Physics and Astronomy" of the international subject ranking, annually compiled by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

As well as in the global ranking the same 13 performance indicators are used in compiling the subject rankings of THE. They are grouped into five areas:  teaching (the learning environment);  research (volume, income and reputation);  citations (research influence); international outlook(staff, students and research); and industry income (knowledge transfer).