The 2025 Elsevier/Stanford global ranking of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists has once again recognized Professor Huseyin Atakan Varol, Founding Director of the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University, among the world’s leading researchers.

The annual ranking, developed by a team at Stanford University led by Professor John Ioannidis, evaluates more than 180,000 scientists worldwide using bibliometric data from the Scopus database. It assesses researchers across 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields, based on key indicators such as total citations, the h-index, the hm-index (adjusted for co-authorship), and a composite c-score reflecting overall impact.

This year, 42 Nazarbayev University (NU) researchers have been included in the global ranking of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists — a 10% increase compared to last year. The recognition reflects NU’s growing research excellence and its pivotal role in advancing science and innovation in Kazakhstan.

The study provides two datasets: one covering career-long impact (up to the end of 2024) and another focusing on 2024-specific citation influence, highlighting both sustained and recent contributions to global science.

Over the past five years, the number of Kazakhstani scientists featured in this ranking has steadily increased, with more than half representing Nazarbayev University. NU scholars have now collectively produced over 10,640 publications, accounting for nearly one-sixth of all scientific papers originating from Kazakhstani universities and research institutes.

ISSAI congratulates Prof. Varol and all Nazarbayev University colleagues recognized in the 2025 Stanford/Elsevier ranking. Their achievements underscore NU’s commitment to world-class research and its role in driving technological innovation for Kazakhstan and beyond.