Seven lecturers from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have been included in the World’s Top 2 Percent Scientist 2024 list, released by Stanford University and Elsevier.
The seven UGM lecturers are Professor Abdul Rohman from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Muh Aris Marfai from the Faculty of Geography, Professor Ahmad Maryudi from the Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Ganjar Alfian from the Vocational College, Dr. Eka Noviana from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Muhammad Akhsin Muflikhun from the Faculty of Engineering, and Professor Jumina from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
From the list of the world’s most influential scientists, 150 scientists from Indonesia made it.
Those categorized as influential scientists are selected based on the impact of their research and the citation of their scientific works in academia, particularly those that are frequently cited or serve as references.
Professor Aris Marfai expressed gratitude for being among the top 2 percent of the world’s most influential scientists. According to him, this achievement is both a reflection and a motivation to contribute more to research and public service.
“Certainly, this can be used as a reflection and motivation for us to contribute and serve the broader community through the utilization and development of scientific knowledge,” said Professor Marfai on Sunday (Sep. 22).
The professor, who currently heads the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG), has published extensively in the field of geography, particularly on geomorphology, disaster management, geospatial information, and coastal areas.
“Over 300 publications have been produced, including international journals, national journals, books, book chapters, teaching materials, and seminar proceedings,” he explained.
Based on a Google Scholar search, Professor Marfai mentioned that his top 15 publications are reputable international journals with citation data ranging between 150 and 250 citations per publication.
“According to Google Scholar, the total citations for all my publications have reached 5,713. Most of these citations come from foreign publications,” he explained.
For Professor Marfai, this recognition is not a goal but a consequence of continuous dedication and commitment to knowledge for the benefit of society.
Professor Ahmad Maryudi expressed a similar sentiment and was pleased to be included in the list. According to him, many indicators are used to compile the list, with the number of publications being just one of them.
“A crucial indicator is how much our works influence other research worldwide, as reflected in how often our works are referenced or cited. So, the ranking is truly based on how frequently our works impact other researchers,” he said.
Professor Maryudi noted that 32,813 researchers were included in the list for the subfield of forestry, and he is ranked 201 globally.
“Research is my identity. This recognition will certainly motivate me to continue producing valuable research. Not all research can be applied directly,” said Professor Maryudi, who focuses on political and policy research in forestry and the environment, particularly on actors and power relations.
As the only female among the seven UGM lecturers included in the list, Dr. Eka Noviana openly admitted that she was surprised to find her name on the list, especially since she is at the early stage of her research career.
“It is an honor for me to be included in this list. As an early career researcher, I feel that I am still far from being an influential researcher. I hope that I can continue to grow in that direction in the future,” she humbly stated.
Dr. Noviana mentioned that most of her publications focus on the development of paper-based test devices for rapid and low-cost diagnostics that are easy for users to operate.
Dr. Noviana noted that she has received 1,615 citations from other researchers from this research.
“Many citations come from abroad because the field of paper-based analytical devices is popular among researchers from Brazil, Italy, Thailand, and Japan,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Professor Abdul Rohman stated that over the past five years, he has produced much research and publications related to the halal analysis of food and cosmetic products, which have been widely cited in international journals.
On the other hand, Professor Jumina has conducted extensive research and published extensively on the synthesis of drug compounds, testing their activity as anti-cancer agents and validating their mechanisms through molecular docking. He has published 149 international papers indexed in Scopus.
“The number of citations for my international papers indexed by Scopus is 1,326, with a total of 1,766 citations from both international and national journals. Most of the citations are related to drug development and calixarenes,” he stated.
Dr. Muhammad Akhsin Muflikhun noted that he has received 797 citations in Scopus-indexed international journals, while Google Scholar records 1,013 citations. Most of the citations stem from his publications on composite manufacturing and technology, additive manufacturing, and macro-micro-nano manufacturing.
As for Dr. Ganjar Alfian, he has published extensively on the application of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) in fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, supply chains, and transportation.
According to Scopus data, his publications have received 1,903 citations to date.
“The most frequently cited articles are related to applied artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Additionally, almost all the articles I have published are cited by authors affiliated with overseas institutions,” he stated.
Dr. Alfian hopes that this achievement will further motivate him to continue conducting more applied research and producing publications in line with the vision of UGM’s Vocational School.
“The hope is that these results can be directly applied and benefit the wider community,” he emphasized.
The World’s Top 2 Percent Scientists 2024 is a scientific ranking system based on an analysis of citation impact across various scientific fields using data from the Scopus database.
This ranking regularly selects 100,000 scientists from across the globe who work in various academic institutions worldwide.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif