The index was based on scientific research output between February 1, 2022 and January 31, using “simple, transparent and current metrics that demonstrate high quality research and collaboration”, according to Nature.
The top five spots were dominated by large-scale institutions like the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Germany’s Max Plank Society and the French National Centre for Scientific Research, apart from Harvard University, which scored second place, according to SCMP.
The news site added that excluding large-scale institutions, Harvard was closely followed by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) – which has a close relationship with the CAS – was in third place among university contributors.
Chinese dominance continued down the rankings, with Nanjing University – one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China – joining hands with Beijing’s renowned Peking University and Tsinghua University to take fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively, it wrote.
