Chongqing - According to the latest data released by the prestigious academic assessment organization Clarivate Analytics, earlier this month, four disciplines from Chongqing universities have entered the top 1% of world rankings, with two disciplines entering the top 0.1% in the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database.

ESI is a vital tool for evaluating scientific research levels and tracking trends in global science. It serves as a benchmark for assessing the academic prowess and influence of universities, academic institutions, and nations or regions.

Disciplines ranking within the top 1% globally indicate that these institutions are among the top 1% of universities offering those disciplines worldwide. Achieving a top 0.1% ranking is an even more remarkable feat, signifying a discipline's exceptional global academic impact.

The campus of Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications. (Photo/ CQUPT）

As of the most recent data, 68 disciplines from 12 Chongqing universities, including Chongqing University, Southwest University, Army Medical University, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Chongqing Jiaotong University, have entered the top 1% of ESI world rankings, representing a significant increase from the initial 55 disciplines earlier this year, with 13 new additions. Additionally, six disciplines have entered the top 0.1%, up from two earlier this year.

The latest statistics show that Agriculture Science at Chongqing University, Molecular Biology and Genetics at Southwest University, Psychiatry, and Psychology at Chongqing Medical University, and Chemistry at the Chongqing University of Technology have all newly entered the top 1% in ESI world rankings. Chemistry and Agriculture Science at Southwest University have entered the top 0.1%.

In line with a Chongqing government report on July 31st, which outlines the progress of constructing first-class universities and disciplines, Chongqing is committed to advancing the "Double First-Class" initiative. By 2027, the city aims to establish 2-3 new doctoral degree-granting institutions and cultivate over five world-class disciplines, more than seven first-class disciplines, and over 60 high-level disciplines.

To achieve these goals, Chongqing continues to refine its "Double First-Class" construction system, implements focused initiatives for discipline improvement, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and undertakes particular actions like the "Artificial Intelligence + Discipline Clusters" project to enhance the quality and efficiency of discipline development. 

Chongqing also actively pursues the establishment of more national laboratories, national key laboratories, national engineering laboratories, key research bases in philosophy and social sciences, key research bases in humanities and social sciences at universities, and Chinese-style new think tanks, among other national-level platforms, projects, and research and development initiatives.

Furthermore, Chongqing is deepening international exchanges, intensifying talent recruitment efforts, aiming to bring in 30 leading experts from abroad each year and attract 1,000 outstanding doctoral students annually.