According to the latest statistical data recently released by Clarivate’s Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics’ discipline of Social Sciences, General has entered the top 1% of the global ESI ranking for the first time. This marks another major breakthrough following the university’s entry into the global top 1% in Engineering in 2024.

This time, 75 universities in mainland China newly entered the top 1% of ESI disciplines, including four finance and economics universities. Yunnan University of Finance and Economics is one of the six newly added universities in the field of Social Sciences, General, marking the university’s entry into the ranks of internationally high-level social science research.

The ESI database ranks institutions worldwide based on total citation counts of published papers. From 2016 to the present, the university has published 153 papers in Social Sciences, General, with a total of 2,169 citations and an average of 14.18 citations per paper. It has also produced six highly cited papers and is ranked 2,515th in this discipline (among the 2,539 institutions worldwide that have entered the top 1%).

In June 2024, the university issued the Work Plan of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics for Improving ESI Rankings. Focusing on four advantageous disciplines—Engineering, Economics & Business, Social Sciences, and Mathematics—the plan takes entry into the global top 1% of ESI as its objective. Through formulating development plans and concentrating on disciplinary integration, refinement of research directions, and faculty development, the university continues to innovate its discipline construction systems and mechanisms, vigorously enhance disciplinary strength and influence, and effectively support discipline development and doctoral degree program construction.

Essential Science Indicators (ESI) is an in-depth analytical research tool based on the Web of Science Core Collection database. It is used to analyze the research performance of specific research institutions, countries, companies, and academic journals, and to conduct statistical analysis and ranking of countries, research institutions, journals, papers, and scientists across 22 subject fields. ESI has become an important evaluation tool widely used around the world to assess the international academic level and influence of universities and research institutions. Disciplines ranked in the top 1% of ESI are generally regarded as being at an internationally high level.