FIFTEEN professors from Shenzhen were on the list of Highly Cited Researchers 2020 released recently by Clarivate, the global analytics company.

Among them, seven are from Shenzhen University (SZU), three from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) and the remaining five are from Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.

An overall 6,167 researchers from more than 60 countries and regions were selected for the 2020 list. Most selected researchers are from interdisciplinary fields.

Zhang Han, a professor at SZU, was counted twice as a highly cited researcher in two fields this year, specifically materials science and physical science.

Zhang views the selection as proof of the quality of their research. It also suggests the popularity of research fields such as materials, physics, chemistry and biology, according to Zhang.

Zhang and Shi Yumeng from SZU have been on the list for two years while Zhang Dapeng from the School of Data Science of CUHK-SZ has been included on the list for a consecutive seven years.

Tsinghua University has 55 professors listed, ranking first among universities on the Chinese mainland.

The Highly Cited Researchers list is released every year, identifying researchers who have demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers within the last decade.

The fact that more professors from Shenzhen were selected for the list also indicates Shenzhen’s enhanced capabilities in basic research, said Shenzhen Economic Daily.