KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 12
Nepali scientists have earned a place among the world's best, as 31 of them have been included in the annual global ranking of top scientists prepared by Stanford University, in collaboration with Elsevier.
According to Rabindra Dhakal, Secretary of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the inclusion marks a proud moment for Nepal's scientific community.
"Stanford University publishes this list every year, based on parameters such as the number of citations and publications," Dhakal said. "The Nepali scientists have been recognized among the most influential researchers globally in 2025."
He further stated that these researchers have made significant global impact through their contributions to research, innovation, and sustainability.
The Stanford list features seven scientists from Tribhuvan University (TU), two each from the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Those from Tribhuvan University include Ajaya Bhattarai, Ramesh Prasad Adhikari, Bhishma Karki, Niranjan Parajuli, Ram Prasad Sharma, and Govinda Prasad Dhungana, along with Ranjit Kumar Shah from the TU Teaching Hospital.
From BPKIHS, the listed scientists are Sanjiv Kumar Sharma and Suman Rijal, while Arun Bhakta Shrestha and Philip Wester represent ICIMOD.
The list also features Dr. Niranjan Koirala of NAST, Shiva Prasad Pudasaini from the Institute of Complex Flows, Meghnath Dhimal of NHRC, and Chhabilal Ranabhat from the Global Centre for Research and Development.
Other names include Mark Jordans from the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal, Santosh Nepal from the International Water Management Institute, Rajkumar Thapa from TU, and Hari (surname not mentioned) from Gandaki University.
Similarly, Peter R. Hobbes of CIMMYT, Surendra KC from the Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, and Sudankumar Jha from Kathmandu University have also been recognized.
The list further includes Randip Rakuwal and Ganesh Kumar Agrawal from the Great Academy Pvt. Ltd., Sunil Kumar Shrestha from the Kathmandu Cancer Center, Bikas Baral from the Biotechnology Society of Nepal, Alok Atreya from Lumbini Medical College, Uttam Paudel from NNRS, Pukar Khanal from Silicon Script Science Pvt. Ltd., Suraj Bhattarai from Global Health Research and Medical Intervention for Development, and Bipin Chaurasia from the College of Medical Sciences, Nepal.
Secretary Dhakal remarked that the inclusion of Nepali scientists in such a prestigious global ranking represents a remarkable international recognition of Nepal's scientific excellence and intellectual potential.
