Partnerships with more than 1,000 institutions in 79 countries helped propel UEA into the top ranks of the Research Collaboration Index. The index is the first global ranking dedicated to measuring how effectively universities work with partners around the world.
It places UEA among the top 19 per cent of 1,195 universities assessed – and highlights the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, UCL and Kings College London as key partners.
The University excelled in disciplines at the heart of some of society’s biggest challenges, ranking 58th worldwide for agricultural and biological sciences and 84th for environmental science. Strong performances continued across the arts and humanities (109th), health professions (117th) and earth and planetary sciences (147th).
The results underline UEA’s growing influence on the international research stage.
UEA shines in second global ranking
A second international league table published today also highlights UEA’s strength across a range of research subjects. The 2026 Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects ranked the University 37th globally for atmospheric science.
UEA is also among the top 75 institutions for oceanography and the top 150 for earth sciences, while a further five subjects, ecology, biological sciences, public health, political sciences and law, feature within the top 200 worldwide.
A global leader for research collaboration
Prof Julian Blow, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at UEA, said: “These results reinforce UEA’s reputation as a research powerhouse, particularly in fields linked to food security, climate science, health, the arts, biodiversity and environmental change.
“Over the past five years, our researchers have produced more than 17,000 co-authored publications, working with over 1,000 partner universities across 79 countries. We work with the world’s best researchers and contribute to globally pressing challenges – from understanding climate change and protecting biodiversity to improving public health and food systems.
“These partnerships are essential to delivering the high-quality, internationally relevant research for which UEA is known, and this recognition reflects the global reach, impact and ambition of our research community.”
Oxbridge collaborations drive success
The Research Collaboration Index places UEA 228th worldwide and within a powerful network of some of the UK’s most prestigious and internationally recognised research institutions. It identifies the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford as key partners alongside University College London and King’s College London.
The index also highlights UEA’s extensive international links and notes that collaborative projects secured almost £30 million in research funding between 2021 and 2025.
How the Research Collaboration Index works
Rather than relying on reputation surveys or academic opinion, the new index analysed 26.8 million co-authored research records published between 2021 and 2025. Researchers were assessed on factors including the influence of their global networks, the diversity of international partnerships, citation impact and the strength of long-term collaborations.
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