A new measurement of the quality of scientific research includes academics from the Universidad de Concepción, UdeC, among the most outstanding authors globally in their respective areas of knowledge.   

ScholarGPS is defined as the most complete academic analysis platform in the world, created by academics and with free access. Composed of powerful computer systems and processes such as data mining and artificial intelligence, its algorithms guarantee precision in the identification of more than 30 million academics affiliated to more than 55,000 institutions around the world, classifying articles in 14 fields that are subdivided into 177 different disciplines.   

With few variations, the results of this ranking are congruent with other similar rankings such as Research.com, QS World University Rankings and CWTS Leiden, among others.   

This ranking has two categories: 'Highly ranked scholars' composed of 0.05% of the best scientists globally; and 'Top scholars', corresponding to 0.5% and in which UdeC researchers appear. In addition, the measurement allows filtering the lists of academics by lifetime and by the records of the last five years.  

Thus, for example:  

By trajectory, in all areas, there are four UdeC scientists: 

• Bernabé L. Rivas, #85.109 

• Doug Geisler, #96.742 

• José Espinoza, #112.791 

• Lohengrin A. Cavieres, #127.028 

During the last five years, there are 6:

• Ramalinga Viswanathan Mangalaraja, #24.312 

• Nathan W. C. Leigh, #45.439 

• Cristian Gallardo-Escárate, #51.625 

• Gabriel N. Gatica, #53.532 

• Miquel Martorell, #57.203 

• Mauricio A. Urbina, #73.277 

There are 88 Chilean academics with outstanding careers in all areas and the national positions of the 4 UdeC are as follows: 

• #44, Bernabé L. Rivas 

• #55, Doug Geisler 

• #65, José Espinoza 

• Lohengrin A. Cavieres #78 

In addition, in the 5-year period, 72 researchers from national institutions are outstanding, and the 6 UdeC are positioned: 

• #18, Ramalinga Viswanathan Mangalaraja 

• #32, Nathan W. C. Leigh 

• #43, Cristian Gallardo-Escárate 

• #45, Gabriel N. Gatica 

• #48, Miquel Martorell 

• #71, Mauricio A. Urbina 

Objectivity of the ranking and collaboration 

One of the scientists mentioned in this list is Professor Gabriel N. Gatica, academic of the Department of Mathematical Engineering of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.   

“From a historical perspective, and taking advantage of the advantage of having more than 40 years as an academic at our university, I have pointed out on several occasions that since the 1990s a great qualitative and quantitative leap in scientific activity at UdeC began to be generated”.   

“In fact, regardless of the names involved, which may vary from one measurement to another, our university has gone over the last 30-odd years from being little known internationally, to having today several disciplines in which it stands out worldwide”, added the also member of the Center for Research in Mathematical Engineering CI²MA, of the UdeC and the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) of the U. de Chile.  

“What ScholarGPS does, in a totally objective way, as other similar rankings we have known in recent years, is to reaffirm the above,” said Gatica.   

“Personally, it is certainly a source of joy to appear here, but it must be kept in mind that much of what can be done in this area is due to our collaboration with other researchers,” he said, ‘and especially with our undergraduate and graduate student thesis students,’ he commented.   

Institutional challenges and new generations  

A similar view was shared by Professor Lohengrin Cavieres González, an academic from the Botany Department of the Faculty of Natural and Oceanographic Sciences. “It is always gratifying that the fruit of more than 25 years working here at the University, we have been fortunate to address questions that in general the community in my area has found interesting.”   

“I would also like it to serve as a stimulus for younger people because, from what I saw, there is another look at this ranking which is looking at the last five years and you can see that there are colleagues here at the University who are standing out and that is also very positive,” he added and then, he raised institutional challenges: “This should also call more attention to our authorities, I am not only referring to the current ones, because it is true that the University is very important because it is where we have been allowed to develop our work, but also, at times, the work is a little uphill and we need a little more facilities, not only that we are standing out, but in general,” said the also researcher of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, IEB.  

“That is, the University should sit down to talk and analyze calmly and with a long-term view, areas in which we have comparative advantages and how we can continue to strengthen them,” he explained, ‘because these things come when you are getting older and you have ’little gas left in the tank' and one would like more young people to be in these rankings, without this meaning that only the rankings should move us, but, like it or not, they are a way to look at how we are contributing from the University to the development of different disciplines.   

“I see my colleagues, very capable people and it makes me very happy to see young people who are standing out, but at the same time I see that there are many more young people who could stand out, if we could improve their conditions”, said the also director of the Antarctic and Subantarctic Science Program, PCAS, of the VRID.   

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Source: VRID UdeC