Second Place in Rio Grande do Sul
The 2024 edition of the Shanghai Ranking was released last week. This year, the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) climbed 4 positions in the national ranking, securing 7th place in Brazil, and ranking as the 4th best among Federal Higher Education Institutions. In Rio Grande do Sul, it maintained its position from previous editions, being the second best in the state.
This year, more than 2,500 universities worldwide were evaluated, with 1,000 making the list. Brazil has 18 institutions featured in the ranking. Globally, Harvard remains in the top spot.
Highly Cited Researchers
The Shanghai Ranking considers six pillars for classifying institutions: Alumni winning a Nobel Prize or Fields Medal; Number of Nobel laureates or internationally recognized awards in specific fields among the institution’s members; Highly Cited Researchers (HiCi); Publications in the journals Nature and Science; Articles indexed in the Science Citation Index-Expanded and Social Science Citation Index; and the institution’s per capita academic performance.
One of UFSM’s highlights in this edition of the ranking was its classification in the “Highly Cited Researchers” pillar. In this category, the university ranks second in Brazil, behind only USP.
Marcelo Lopes Kroth, Coordinator of Information Planning at UFSM, explains that this result is very significant because, in the Latin American context, there are few researchers who make it onto this list, and being ranked 2nd in Brazil demonstrates the excellent work that has been consistently carried out at UFSM.
This sentiment is shared by Luiz Felipe Valandro, Director of Strategic Actions and Programs at the Provost Office for Graduate Studies and Research. He believes that this result reflects the knowledge building that has occurred at the institution in recent years. “Being well-positioned in a ranking is the recognition of a series of actions involving many people and sectors. The formation of highly skilled individuals and the creation and generation of quality knowledge in a solid and constantly improving graduate ecosystem are foundational premises that guide Research, Development, and Innovation,” he explains.
Luiz Felipe also highlights that, externally, this index refers to UFSM’s scientific visibility and reputation. “These data show the extent to which the knowledge generated by the research group in a given period has resonated with their peers, having a significant impact on the advancement of knowledge in various fields,” he states.
The complete results can be consulted on the Shanghai Ranking website.
The Provost Office for Planning monitors and publishes on its website the main rankings in which UFSM is featured.
Original text: https://www.ufsm.br/2024/08/19/ufsm-esta-entre-as-melhores-universidades-do-brasil-de-acordo-com-shanghai-ranking
