Iran ranks first in key scientific output among Islamic countries
Iran ranks first in key scientific output among Islamic countries
TEHRAN - Iran ranks first among Islamic nations in key fields of scientific output such as quantum science, cognitive sciences, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and advanced materials, the head of the Presidential Affairs Office at the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) has announced.
The country is in close competition with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in these fields, IRNA quoted Saeed Bakhtiari as saying.
He made the remarks in a press briefing on Monday, noting that the development of science in these fields has also been emphasized in national development plans.
Based on the reputable Web of Science database, Iran ranks first among Islamic countries in scientific output in some of these fields, while placing second or third in others. Overall, however, Iran holds the top position, he said.
Bakhtiari noted that in advanced materials—a multidisciplinary field spanning physics, chemistry, mechanics and materials science—Iran ranks second among Islamic countries and ninth worldwide.
He added that Iran ranks third in artificial intelligence, behind Saudi Arabia and Turkey, while in quantum science it ranks second, after Saudi Arabia.
The ISC official further said that Iran holds the top position among Islamic countries in scientific output in cognitive sciences and ranks first overall.
According to Web of Science (WoS) data, over a five-year period (from 2021 to 2025), Iran (with 32 documents) ranks first in cognitive sciences among Islamic countries.
Turkey, with 23 documents, and Saudi Arabia, with 22 documents, are placed second and third, respectively, IRNA reported.
From 2014 to 2023, Iran ranked either first or second in most fields of cognitive sciences among Islamic countries. Over the course of the decade, the country ranked first in cognitive neuroscience, cognitive rehabilitation, and cognitive linguistics with 387, 156, and 30 documents, respectively.
It ranked second in cognitive psychology (124 documents), cognitive education (561 documents), philosophy of mind (34 documents), and cognitive evaluation (898 documents). The country’s best ranking globally was in cognitive neuroscience; it ranked 15.
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, with 73 documents, University of Tehran, with 39 documents, and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, with 32 documents, ranked first to third in cognitive neuroscience. In cognitive psychology, University of Tehran(10 documents ), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (7 documents), and Allameh Tabatabai University (6 documents) were the top three universities.
In cognitive linguistics, University of Tehran (with 3 documents), Al-Zahra University (3 documents), Allameh Tabatabei University (2 documents ) ranked first to third. In cognitive education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were placed first to third, respectively.
In cognitive rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (21 documents), University of Tehran (16 documents), and Iran University of Medical Sciences (12 documents) ranked first to third. The best three universities in philosophy of mind were University of Tehran, Isfahan University, and Amirkabir University of Technology.
In cognitive evaluation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ranked first with 196 documents. Iran University of Medical Sciences (105 documents) and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (91 documents) ranked second and third.
The country is placed second in quantum (with 216 documents) and advanced materials (with 5975 documents), after Saudi Arabia, with 283 and 6160 documents in quantum and advanced materials. Malaysia (with 154 documents) and Egypt (with 3151 documents) are placed third in quantum and advanced materials, respectively.
Despite illegal sanctions, Iran secures first place in cognitive sciences among Islamic nations and ranks ninth globally in advanced materials. Numerous prestigious Iranian universities and institutions are included in international rankings. These accomplishments underscore the country’s scientific capabilities, IRIB quoted Science Minister Hossein Simaei-Sarraf as saying, addressing the 7th Turkey Educational Technologies Summit (known as TETZ 2026), held in Istanbul from June 26 to 28.
Iran serves as a great opportunity to invest in higher education and modern technologies. The country has one of the largest higher education systems in the region, with more than three million students and over seventy thousand faculty members and researchers.
Highlighting that the rapid development of emerging technologies, including AI, is fundamentally transforming human relationships and higher education systems around the world at an unprecedented pace, Simaei-Sarraf said that effective use of smart technologies requires the establishment of a system based on algorithmic transparency, educational justice, accountability, protection of learners’ rights, and responsible data governance.
According to science minister, cultural and social requirements need to be institutionalized in the design and deployment of these technologies, which will help pave the way to promote social trust, facilitate the use of smart education, and its acceptance without posing data governance risks at national and international levels.
The official went on to say that the development of smart education requires the enhancement of synergy, the exchange of expertise, and the utilization of shared capacities of countries more than ever. He expressed hope that the summit would lay the basis for the expansion of academic ties, the exchange of knowledge, and the development of collaborative initiatives in the smart education sector, which would in turn expand higher education at national, regional, and global scales.
MT/MG
source: tehrantimes.com