The number of globally recognized researchers affiliated with Saudi Arabian universities has significantly decreased, raising concerns about potential repercussions on the institutions' global rankings. The decline comes after revelations that some universities were enticing renowned scientists to declare affiliations with Saudi institutions in exchange for financial incentives, leading to ethical concerns and increased scrutiny.
According to an analysis by Siris Academic, Saudi universities now have affiliations with only 76 of the world's most cited researchers, down from 109 in the previous year. The practice of offering cash incentives or relatively minor consulting commitments to secure affiliations had been a longstanding strategy by some Saudi institutions to boost their rankings, especially in influential rankings like the Shanghai Ranking, which considers the number of highly cited researchers at a university.
The decrease in affiliated researchers is attributed to universities and research institutions outside Saudi Arabia raising ethical concerns about scientists declaring affiliations in exchange for payment. Clarivate, the company behind the annual list of highly cited researchers, also implemented stricter measures, leading to a more comprehensive evaluation of affiliations.
While the decline may impact Saudi universities' rankings, it reflects a collective effort by scientific institutions to address the manipulation of affiliations for ranking purposes. The situation highlights the importance of maintaining transparency and ethical practices in academic affiliations to ensure the credibility of global rankings and academic collaborations.
The Saudi ministry of education, along with representatives of specific universities, did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
