In an outstanding scientific achievement for the Kurdistan Region, Stanford University has ranked two professors from Salahaddin University among the top 2% of the world's most influential scientists in its latest annual list.

On Friday, October 9, 2026, Saman Abdullah, Director of Media at Salahaddin University, told the Kurdistan24 website: "We proudly announce that two of our university's professors, Asst. Prof. Dr. Botan Jawdat Abdullah from the Physics Department and Asst. Prof. Dr. Hazha Omar Osman from the Chemistry Department, have been selected among the top 2% of the world's scientists by the American Stanford University."

He further emphasized, "This great scientific achievement is a source of pride for Salahaddin University and the academic community of the Kurdistan Region, and we wish them continued success."

The "World’s Top 2% Scientists List" is an annual global database compiled by the prestigious Stanford University in partnership with the global scientific publishing company Elsevier. This ranking identifies the most influential researchers and scientists worldwide based on standardized citation metrics from the international Scopus database.

What does this ranking measure? Rather than solely relying on the quantity and volume of published research, the ranking focuses on the researcher's scientific impact. To achieve this, it utilizes a composite indicator known as the "c-score," which considers several dimensions, including:

  • Total citations.
  • The h-index (research balance metric).
  • Co-authorship adjustments (considering the number of participants in the research).
  • The author's position in the research (such as sole, first, or last author).