Twelve study papers written by Korean research institutions were included in the 500 excellent papers in 2021 selected by the international academic journal Nature. Seoul National University (SNU) ranked 59th, the highest among Korean research institutions.
On Tuesday, the Korea Biotech Policy Research Center under the Korea Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) shared the 2022 Nature Index.
Since 2016, the Nature Index has selected world-class academic journals, analyzed the contribution of the author's institutions, countries, and co-authors, and calculated the top 500 rankings. Its subjects were papers published in 2021 in 82 excellent journals selected by Nature.
The number of Korean research institutions in the top 500 has ranged between 10 and 13 since 2015.
2021, the SNU took first place in Korea by ranked 59th place, followed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) at 67th, Pohang Institute of Science and Technology (Postech) at 126th, Yonsei University (147th), the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) (180th), Sung Kyun Kwan University (187th), Korea University (215th), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, 220th), Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, 344th), Hanyang University (350th), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST, 414th), and Ehwa Womans University (500th).
By country, the U.S. ranked first, closely chased by China. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is the institution that released the largest number of excellent research papers in 2021 and has taken the position over the past decade. Korea ranked eighth in 2021, following 2020.
The U.S. institutions showed strength in life sciences. Harvard University topped the list of 10 best life sciences research institutions. U.S. universities and research organs took seven spots, with the other three being Max-Planck-Gesellshaft of Germany (3rd), CAS (5th), and Oxford University of the U.K. (7th).
Among the top 200 Asia-Pacific research institutions, 118 were Chinese (60 percent), and 15 were Korean.
In the top 100 Asia-Pacific life sciences research institutions, Korea ranked fourth with seven institutions, following China (52), Japan (18), and Australia (13).
“Based on the selection criteria of ‘Share Value,’ Korea scored 2.3 percent better than 2020,” an official at the center said. “Accordingly, Korea ranked 12th in the overall number of papers in 2021, but its ranking based on Share value rose to eighth.”