Ecology, agronomy, biotechnology… Muse’s subject areas rank in the top 100 of the Shanghai Ranking
The 2021 Shanghai Ranking places the University of Montpellier among the world’s top 100 in ten academic fields, most of which are related to the Muse themes. For the fifth consecutive year, UM has confirmed its position among the leaders in ecology and has made significant strides in the fields of remote sensing and food science and technology.
© Abbie Tayler Smith – Greenpeace
Both hotly debated and eagerly anticipated, the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, published annually by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was released on May 27. The University of Montpellier appears 10 times in the top 100 and 20 times in the top 200. This improvement confirms its excellence in the fields championed by the I-site Muse, foremost among which is ecology. Ranked third in the world in this field, UM has thus retained its spot on the podium for the fifth consecutive year, behind Oxford, which remains in first place, and the University of Minnesota, which has taken second place from the University of California, Davis, a key partner of UM.
“We are delighted to remain among the world leaders in ecology, ”says Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier. “This is further proof of how our researchers, Professors laboratories are responsive to society’s expectations and to the major challenges posed by climate change and ecology.” ” Agricultural sciences have also solidified their position, rising from 42nd to 23rd place in just two years. This rise is partly driven by the close collaboration initiated in 2017 within the Muse consortium with Wageningen University, which remains the world leader in this field. A third pleasant surprise: biotechnology, which ranks 34th in this global ranking.
Fifth place in France
Still within the Muse subject areas, water sciences also rank in the top 100. This marks significant progress for the field, which moved from the “101–150” group in 2019 to the “51–75” group in 2021.“UM has joined the top three French universities in the field of water resources alongside the University of Grenoble-Alpes and the University of Toulouse – Paul Sabatier, ”comments Eric Servat, director ofIM2E andIcireward, the brand-new UNESCO international center dedicated to water. “This advancement highlights the high quality of the work produced by Montpellier’s water sciences teams. This is further recognition and confirmation of Montpellier’s status as a leading international hub in a sector facing critical challenges for the coming decades.”
Also appearing in this “51–75” group are geography and oceanography, which were already included in 2020, as well as—for the first time—food science and technology and remote sensing. Matthieu Ferry, Professor Géosciences Montpellier, welcomes this result:“With the rise of remote sensing data and the development of artificial intelligence, the earth, water, and environmental science laboratories at UM are developing new approaches to protect resources and populations in the face of climatic and geological hazards. This strong ranking is a testament to that.” Earth sciences are also ranked in the “76–100” group, as are veterinary sciences. With these ten citations in the top 100, UM ranks fifth in France in this ranking, behind Paris-Saclay (cited 25 times), Sorbonne University (19 times), the University of Grenoble Alpes (18 times), and Paris Sciences et Lettres (15 times).
Muse: a strong collective dynamic
This is also an excellent result for biology and human biology, clinical medicine, and statistics, which are ranked in the “100–150” group of this global ranking. Finally, mathematics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials engineering, environmental engineering, energy sciences, and pharmacy appear in the top 200.“Our results in this ranking should be interpreted as further evidence of the strength of our scientific capabilities and the effectiveness of the synergy fostered by Muse. “Together with all our partners, we have created a genuine collective momentum, a shared identity that allows UM to shine on the international stage,” states Philippe Augé before concluding: “Muse must also serve to support, through these various calls for projects, initiatives led by other communities.”
Controversial ranking criteria
Published annually since 2003 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects is a ranking of the world’s leading universities compiled by researchers at this Chinese university. Since 2009, a subject-specific ranking has also been available. Six criteria are used to determine the ranking: the number of Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals won by alumni and researchers, the number of researchers most cited in their disciplines over the past ten years, the number of articles published in Nature and Science over the past five years, the number of articles indexed in the Science Citation Index and the Social Sciences Citation Index, and finally, academic performance relative to the institution’s size. These criteria are regularly questioned as being biased in favor of large Anglo-Saxon universities. The question of the relevance of these criteria for evaluating the social sciences is also frequently raised.