China leading physics research, with US a distant rival, Nature Index shows
Published: 10:00pm, 8 Feb 2025
The world's top organisations for high-quality physics research are all in China or Europe, with the US' highest-ranked institution coming in at No 13, according to the latest Nature Index.
A China-based observer said this could have far-reaching implications for the United States' technological edge, with physics underpinning much of modern technology and innovation. But another highlighted America's overall lead in original research breakthroughs.
The Nature Index – maintained by the prestigious journal of the same name – ranks research institutions based on their contributions to articles published in the world's most influential scientific journals.
The latest list was based on research output in the 12 months from November 2023.
China dominated the top 10, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and Tsinghua University taking the top three spots.
Only two non-Chinese institutions broke into the top 10 – the Max Planck Society in Germany at No 4 and the French National Centre for Scientific Research at No 10.
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