Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) has scored a historic breakthrough in the latest Nature Index, with its global ranking surging to a new high — 93rd among universities worldwide (marking its debut in the top 100) and 42nd among those in mainland China. This milestone signifies a remarkable enhancement in QUST’s comprehensive strength in the field of natural sciences.

The steady rise in QUST’s Nature Index ranking not only reflects the growing global influence of its scientific research but also mirrors the remarkable progress and fruitful achievements made in the university’s discipline development and scientific research in recent years. Adhering to the goal of building a “Double First-Class” university, QUST has focused on national major strategic needs and disciplinary frontiers, vigorously implemented Shandong Province’s “811” Project for first-class discipline construction (regarded as the top priority for the university’s high-quality development). It has promoted interdisciplinary integration, strengthened organized scientific research, and continuously stimulated the vitality of technological innovation, achieving a series of breakthrough results in multiple disciplinary fields.

Nature Index was first released in November 2014. Based on the number of papers published by global research institutions in 145 world-leading journals in natural science fields such asNature,Science, andCell, the index serves as a database for counting papers published by universities and research institutes in the world’s most influential research-oriented academic journals. It is used to measure and reflect the output and competitiveness of high-quality research papers among countries, regions, and research institutions. Currently, the Nature Index has evolved into an internationally recognized key indicator for assessing high-quality research output and cooperation in the natural sciences, exerting significant global influence.