30 EMU academics ranked among world’s most influential scientists

Doğu Akdeniz University (DAÜ) has achieved international recognition as 30 of its academics were named among the “World’s Most Influential Scientists,” a list compiled by a research team led by Stanford University and published on 19 September 2025. Of these, 25 are Turkish Cypriots, a milestone that underscores both the institution’s and the country’s growing contribution to global science.

The ranking, released with the support of Elsevier B.V. and based on Scopus data, covers 236,314 scientists worldwide, placing them in the top 2% in terms of research impact and citations. The list includes two categories: Single Year (2024 performance) and Career-Long Impact. Compared to last year, the number of scientists featured increased by over 40,000, reflecting global growth in academic output.

DAÜ’s Rising Scientific Influence

DAÜ placed 17 academics in the annual database for 2025, spanning diverse disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, economics, engineering, artificial intelligence, and tourism.

Notably, five DAÜ academics ranked in the world’s top 100 within their fields:

-Prof. Dr. Osman M. Karatepe (Tourism) ranked 12th globally for career-long impact and 14th in 2024 performance, also securing 1st place in Turkey and TRNC.

-Doç. Dr. Ali Övgün (Nuclear & Particle Physics) ranked 83rd globally for 2024 and also leads his field in Turkey and TRNC.

-Doç. Dr. Babak Safaei (Mechanical Engineering & Transport) ranked 94th globally for 2024.

-Doç. Dr. Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo (Chemical Engineering) ranked 96th globally for 2024.

-Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil (Electrical & Electronics Engineering) ranked 100th globally for 2024.

In addition, several academics achieved high positions worldwide:

-Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov (Mathematics) ranked 128th globally.

-Prof. Dr. Salih T. Katırcıoğlu (Economics) ranked 343rd globally.

-Dr. Emad Sobhani (Civil Engineering) ranked 200th globally.

-Doç. Dr. Arran Fernandez (Applied Mathematics) ranked 228th globally.

Career-Long Impact

The Career-Long Impact list featured 13 DAÜ academics, with strong performances across mathematics, economics, physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence. Prof. Dr. Osman M. Karatepe once again led the field in tourism, while Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil, Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov, and Doç. Dr. Ali Övgün also secured top ranks in Turkey and the TRNC in their respective fields.

National and Regional Comparison

This year, 1,589 scientists from Turkish universities and 120 scientists from Southern Cyprus were featured in the database. From the TRNC, DAÜ’s contribution was particularly significant, positioning the university as a leading hub of academic excellence in the region.

Rector’s Statement

DAÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç congratulated the academics, emphasizing the significance of their achievement: “This success demonstrates that the work of our research-focused academics is being read, cited, and applied internationally. It also reflects DAÜ’s strong global collaborations, the contributions of our graduate students, and the ability of our institution to nurture talent from the ground up. Seeing both long-serving professors and young academics represented in this prestigious list is a source of great pride. I wholeheartedly congratulate our scholars and firmly believe in their continued success.”

The full list of the world’s most influential scientists is available here.