Mikhail Fedoruk, NSU Rector and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences described the changes that have helped the University attain these results,
ARWU indicators reflect the strong side of NSU as a research university. It was created based on a unique model promoting education through the generation of new knowledge. The goal was to train highly qualified specialists for the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. NSU has adopted new standards for conducting research, which, for example, assess the level of a scientific group by their publications in first quartile journals, and Nature and Science meet the highest rating agency requirements. We also use the networking format associated with world-class science organizations and participate in international research collaborations including experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.
The Shanghai rating is considered one of the most prestigious university ratings in the world, and for Russia, it is one of the most challenging. The rating takes into account such indicators as the number of Nobel and Fields Medal laureates among graduates and teachers, and the number of published articles and citations. Articles published in the journals Nature and Science, the citation index for the natural and human sciences, and the size of the institution also add points for the university.
Alexei Okunev, NSU Vice-Rector for Program Development responded to the latest ratings,
These ratings reflect the traditionally strong, natural-scientific directions in which we have always been leaders. However, modern fundamental science cannot develop in isolation from the latest technological advances. The positive improvement relative to the previous year demonstrates the results of NSU’s systematic efforts in the direction of applied sciences, including engineering. In 2018, we are offering a number of new applied MA level programs in fields that are currently in demand such as artificial intelligence, quantum informatics, nuclear medicine, and synchrotron radiation technology. Another aspect of this development strategy is a project to establish a new type of Bachelor level engineering school. This school will unite existing NSU end-to-end technologies within the framework of interdisciplinary student projects.
