The University of Fiji has achieved the highest institutional Share among Fiji-based institutions in the internationally recognised Nature Index, highlighting the University’s growing contribution to high-quality global research.
The Nature Index tracks research published in 178 peer-selected, high-quality journals across the natural, health, applied and social sciences. It measures institutional performance using indicators that assess both publication output and research contribution.
According to the latest Nature Index data for Fiji, the University of Fiji recorded the highest institutional Share, a metric that reflects an institution’s proportional contribution to published research. Unlike publication counts alone, the Share metric measures the depth of an institution’s involvement in the research process.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem said the achievement was a significant milestone for the University and reflected its commitment to research excellence despite operating within a small island developing state context.
“We are extremely overwhelmed by this news and proud of being awarded such international recognition. We are aware that Universities are established for research-based teaching and our research can now be recognized for helping to develop knowledge for the public good.”
The achievement reflects the University’s continued commitment to strengthening its research culture and expanding its contribution to scientific knowledge at both regional and international levels.
Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Science, Dr Ramendra Prasad, described the recognition as a significant milestone for the University and the School of Science and Technology.
“Though the Nature Index database tracks institutional and country-level research output across narrow fields spanning the natural, health, applied, and social sciences, it considers articles published in 178 peer-selected, high-quality journals. This indeed is fantastic news for the Science Department and SOST,” Dr Prasad said.
He said the recognition reflects the collective efforts of staff and researchers and affirms the University’s emergence as a research-intensive institution with a growing influence within the global scientific community.
Dr Prasad noted that the publication contributing to the University’s Nature Index standing emanated from a collaboration between KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and the Science Department.
He also acknowledged the authors of the publication, Associate Professor Ramendra Prasad, Ms Ayesha Reddy and Ms Dhrishna Charan, for their marvellous contributions.
The University’s performance in the Nature Index demonstrates the increasing impact of its research activities and reinforces its position as an emerging contributor to scientific knowledge within Fiji, the Pacific region and beyond.
As the University continues to strengthen its research capacity, it remains committed to fostering innovation, supporting academic excellence and building international collaborations that contribute to national, regional and global development.
