2017 Research Ranking of the Global Universities (RRGU) was announced on March 1. Shandong University ranks 298th among the Top 300 elite research universities in the world and 12th in Chinese mainland universities.

According to the ranking, China has 16 universities in the Top 300 with 12 from the mainland, 3 from HK, and 1 from Taiwan. It is the first time that Chinese universities appear in the Top 100 in RRGU. China's Peking University and Tsinghua University rank top 2 in China, and 77 and 80 respectively in the world. Other institutions from the Chinese mainland in the list include Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University, Sun Yat-Sen University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nankai University and Shandong University.

RRGU is the first global university ranking of its kind, focusing on research universities worldwide. Distinct from previous ranking systems, RRGU puts its emphasis on research output, in particular research quality and draws on big data for multidimensional assessment. As such, its ranking provides a trustworthy reflection of the research performance and impact of world universities.RRUG is based on four key metrics derived from bibliometric databases: (1) total research output; (2) accumulated research impact; (3) research impact per unit research output; and (4) high impact research output. All the data indicators of each university are from relevant databases, and the final ranking represents a weighted result where quality is valued over quantity, though a threshold in total research output needs to be reached for a university to be considered.

Translated by: Lang Cuicui

Edited by: Song Yijun