On 19 September 2025, 30 academics from Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) were named among the world’s most highly cited researchers in the “Most Influential Scientists in the World” list. This recognition came from a study led by Stanford University in the USA, with a team of American and Dutch scientists. The fact that nearly all of these EMU researchers are citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) makes this accomplishment a tremendous source of pride for both the university, as a public institution, and the country.
The list was compiled using Scopus data with support from Elsevier B.V., a leading academic publisher. A total of 236,314 researchers worldwide ranked among the top 2%. Compared to last year, this year saw an increase of 40,062 scientists on the list. It includes both researchers with the highest citations in a ‘Single Year’ (2024 calendar year) and those with the highest citations over their entire careers ‘Career Long’.
17 Academics from EMU listed in the Single Year Database
17 Academics from EMU were included in the 2025 annual database of the ‘Most Influential Scientists in the World’ list.
The scholars featured on the said list are; Prof. Dr. Osman M. Karatepe, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Faculty of Tourism Academic Staff Member; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Övgün, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics Academic Staff Member; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Babak Safaei, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Academic Staff Member; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Salih T. Katırcıoğlu, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Banking and Finance Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Computer Engineering Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics Academic Staff Member; Dr. Emad Sobhani, Former Researcher of Nanotechnology & Multifunctional Structures Research Center; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arran Fernandez, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Hasan Demirel, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Seyedhabibollah Mazharimousavi, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Vice Chair of Department of Physics; Prof. Dr. İzzet Sakallı, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Departments of Chemistry and Physics; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Davut Solyalı, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Mustafa Gazi, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Vice Chair of Department of Chemistry; Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özarslan, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics Academic Staff Member; Prof. Dr. Omar Mustafa, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics Academic Staff Member; and Prof. Dr. Osman Kükrer, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Academic Staff Member.
The total number of researchers from universities in the Republic of Türkiye on the list increased by 55 from last year, reaching 1,589. Similarly, the number of researchers from Southern Cyprus grew by 28, bringing the total to 120.
5 EMU Academics Listed within Top 100 in their Fields:
Prof. Dr. Karatepe – 12th Most Influential Scientist in the World in the Field of Tourism
Prof. Dr. Osman M. Karatepe achieved significant recognition in the list of the world’s most influential scientists, ranking 12th globally in the ‘Career Long’ category in Tourism. This accomplishment earned Prof. Dr. Karatepe the top spot in his field in both Türkiye and the TRNC. Furthermore, in the 2025 ‘Single Year’ list, Prof. Dr. Karatepe was ranked 14th worldwide in his field. In the overall annual ranking across all disciplines, he placed 2,377th globally and 12th among Turkish scientists.
Another EMU academic to achieve a top 100 global ranking in their field on the list of the world’s most influential scientists is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Övgün. In the ‘Single Year’ list for ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Övgün ranked 83rd worldwide, a remarkable accomplishment that earned him the top position in his field in both Türkiye and the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Övgün is also featured in the ‘Career Long’ list, where he again holds the number one spot in his field in Türkiye and the TRNC.
Other EMU academics to make it into the global top 100 include Assoc. Prof. Dr. Babak Safaei, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo, and Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Safaei ranked 94th worldwide in the ‘Single Year’ list for ‘Mechanical Engineering and Transportation’, placing 4th in Türkiye and 1st in the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Safaei also appears in the ‘Career Long’ list, where he holds the 10th position in Türkiye and 1st in the TRNC.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo, ranked 96th worldwide in ‘Single Year’ list for ‘Chemical Engineering’, placing 1st in both Türkiye and TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oladipo also appears in the ‘Career Long’ list, holding the 10th place in Türkiye and 1st in TRNC.
Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil was among EMU academics to rank in the global top 100 in their field. In the ‘Single Year’ list for ‘Electrical and Electronics Engineering’, Prof. Dr. Kömürcügil achieved 100th place worldwide, securing the top position in both Türkiye and the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Kömürcügil is also featured in the ‘Career Long’ list, where he ranks 3rd in Türkiye and 1st in the TRNC.
Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov ranked 128th worldwide in ‘General Mathematics’, 4th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Salih T. Katırcıoğlu ranked 343rd globally in ‘Economics’ and 1st in both Türkiye and the TRNC. Dr. Emad Sobhani ranked 200th worldwide in ‘Civil Engineering’, 6th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arran Fernandez ranked 228th globally in ‘Applied Mathematics’, 4th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Hasan Demirel ranked 6,157th worldwide in ‘Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing’, 93rd in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Seyedhabibollah Mazharimousavi ranked 1,917th globally in ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, 8th in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. İzzet Sakallı ranked 1,963rd worldwide in ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, 9th in Türkiye, and 3rd in the TRNC. Assoc. Dr. Davut Solyalı ranked 6,663rd globally in ‘Energy’, 139th in Türkiye, and 3rd in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Gazi ranked 2,399th worldwide in ‘Polymers’, 32nd in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özarslan ranked 1,452nd globally in ‘General Mathematics’, 21st in Türkiye, and 4th in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Omar Mustafa ranked 3,226th worldwide in ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, 17th in Türkiye, and 4th in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Osman Kükrer ranked 2,006th globally in ‘Electrical and Electronics Engineering’, 21st in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC.
13 EMU Academics in the ‘Career Long Impact’ List
Total of 13 scholars from EMU were listed in the ‘Career Long Impact’ List:
Prof. Dr. Osman M. Karatepe ranked 12th globally in ‘Tourism’ and 1st in both Türkiye and the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Salih T. Katırcıoğlu ranked 397th worldwide in ‘Economics’, also 1st in Türkiye and the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov ranked 189th globally in ‘General Mathematics’, 3rd in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Hasan Kömürcügil ranked 199th worldwide in ‘Electrical and Electronics Engineering’, 3rd in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Övgün ranked 1,305th globally in ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, 1st in Türkiye and the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Babak Safaei ranked 746th worldwide in ‘Mechanical Engineering and Transportation’, 10th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo ranked 658th globally in ‘Chemical Engineering’, 10th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Osman Kükrer ranked 653rd worldwide in ‘Electrical and Electronics Engineering’, 7th in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Hasan Demirel ranked 5,884th globally in ‘Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing’, 70th in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. İzzet Sakallı ranked 3,377th globally in ‘Nuclear & Particle Physics’, 14th in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Former faculty member of Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kadri Hacıoğlu ranked 4,068th globally in ‘Network and Telecommunications’, 37th in Türkiye, and 2nd in the TRNC. Dr. Emad Sobhani ranked 1,318th worldwide in ‘Civil Engineering’, 29th in Türkiye, and 1st in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Benedek Nagy ranked 9,677th globally in ‘Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing’, 122nd in Türkiye, and 3rd in the TRNC.
The total number of researchers from universities in the Republic of Türkiye on the list is 1,320. On the other hand, the number from Southern Cyprus is 102.
The ‘Most Influential Scientists in the World’ list is accessible at: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/8.
“I Wholeheartedly Congratulate Our Academics Featured on the List”
Making remarks on this outstanding achievement, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç said; “This accomplishment highlights that the research outputs of our faculty are not only being read but also widely cited. It also underscores the pivotal role of EMU’s research-focused academics, their international collaborations, and the joint publications with their master’s and doctoral students, along with the citations these works have received, in achieving this success.
Another point of pride is that most of our 30 academics featured on the world’s most influential scientists list—both in the single year and career-long categories—were educated in the TRNC and honed their skills at our university. This proves that EMU, as the pioneer of science in the TRNC, can develop talented researchers from the ground up and guide them to achieve top positions in global academia. It is especially rewarding to see that, in addition to our long-serving faculty, young academics are also making their mark, and new researchers continue to be added to this prestigious list.
I wholeheartedly congratulate our academics featured on the ‘Most Influential Scientists in the World” list. I have full confidence that their success and accomplishments are to continue in the future”.
