Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) added another notch in its belt by being listed in the field of Physical Sciences of the rankings announced by the prestigious independent world university ranking organization Nature Index for the period between 1 June 2023 and 1 May 2024. As a result of the evaluations conducted by the Nature Index, EMU achieved to get a score of 7.60 in the field of Physical Sciences, becoming the top university both in Cyprus and Türkiye. Moreover, the score is the highest ever score achieved on the island.
On the other hand, EMU surpassed renowned institutions such as Koç University and Middle East Technical University (METU) in the Physical Sciences category in Türkiye, earning the top spot in the Nature Index-Physical Sciences category for both Cyprus and Türkiye.
EMU Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics, accumulated a total of 7.60 fractional points in the Physical Sciences category through EMU-affiliated scientific articles published in academic journals and indexed by the Nature Index. This achievement was significantly supported by contributions from the Chair of EMU Department of Physics Prof. Dr. İzzet Sakallı with 0.53 points; Vice Chair of the department Prof. Dr. Seyedhabibollah Mazharimousavi with 3 points; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Övgün with 2.81 points; and Prof. Dr. Omar Mustafa with 1.25 points.
In the overall rankings released by the Nature Index, EMU ranked as the second on the island and fifth in Türkiye, following Bilkent University, Istanbul Technical University, Koç University and METU in terms of all scientific categories.
The Nature Index is a global organization that tracks articles published in 145 of the world’s leading academic journals, considered among the most respected in the scientific community. It compiles monthly and annual rankings based on research contributions in areas such as Physical Sciences, Medicine, Health, Chemistry, and Earth and Environmental Sciences.
“The Achievement is not coincidental”
Making remarks on the achievement, Dean of EMU Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özarslan underscored that since 2020, the EMU Department of Physics has been the only English-medium Physics Undergraduate Program on the island that is certified by the Council of Higher Education (YOK), adding that the departments operating under the faculty offer their students education at world standards through their strong academic staff. Stressing that the achievements are not coincidental, Prof. Dr. Özarslan noted that they were the result of the EMU Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ exceptional academic staff, which includes some of the world’s top scholars, and its consistently growing publication output. Prof. Dr. Özarslan remarked that the EMU Physics Department is now competing against its own past achievements and emphasized that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is a leader in the region and among the top faculties globally. Prof. Dr. Özarslan also congratulated the Physics Department academic staff members for their significant contributions and wished them continued success.
“Success in the Scientific Fields are to increasingly continue”
Touching on the topic, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç expressed that the achievement gained is an indication of EMU’s quality and research-oriented approaches in the field of education. Prof. Dr. Kılıç congratulated everyone who has contributed to this significant achievement. Prof. Dr. Kılıç pointed out that the strongest proof of EMU offering education at international standards lies in the evaluations carried out by independent global ranking organizations, highlighting that 16 faculty members from EMU were featured in the “Most Influential Scientists in the World” list published by Stanford University last week, which serves as a clear indication of this achievement.
Prof. Dr. Kılıç said; “As EMU, we always support our students and academic personnel through innovative and scientific research. This achievement obtained in the field of Physical Sciences is a result of our academics’ hard work. This achievement underscores EMU’s dedication to scientific research and its capacity for research, further enhancing the university’s prestige on both regional and global levels. Moreover, it reaffirms that EMU is recognized as a respected institution not only within the island but also across Türkiye. Moving forward, EMU will persist in advancing its scientific accomplishments and delivering education that aligns with international standards”.
More information regarding Nature Index can be accessed from the website of the organization (https://www.nature.com/nature-index/faq). On the other hand, more information about the EMU’s achievement in the Physical Sciences category is accessible at https://www.nature.com/nature-index/institution-outputs/generate/physical-sciences/countries-Cyprus/all web address.
