On September 23, 2026, Clarivate released the latest statistics from the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database, marking a historic moment for NEFU: the Plant and Animal Science discipline entered the world’s top 0.1% in the ESI rankings for the first time, becoming NEFU’s first discipline to reach this elite tier.

According to the latest data, NEFU’s Plant and Animal Science discipline published 3,146 high-quality papers over the past ten years (January 2016 to June 2026), with a cumulative citation count of 37,674, and has entered the ranks of the world’s leading disciplines. This milestone marks another solid step forward in NEFU’s efforts to develop internationally leading disciplines. It represents a significant leap in the academic influence and core competitiveness of its distinctive areas of strength.

NEFU remains committed to strategies that strengthen the university through talent development, disciplinary development, distinctive strengths, and scientific research. Building on the progress and momentum achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, NEFU has continued to report encouraging achievements in disciplinary development and academic influence at the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period this year. In May 2026, NEFU’s Geosciences discipline entered the top 1% of the ESI global rankings for the first time, bringing the total number of our university’s disciplines ranked in the global top 1% to eight. In August 2026, NEFU was ranked 401–500 in the ShanghaiRanking Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), placing 461st and entering the global top 500 for the first time. On September 15, 2026, ShanghaiRanking officially released the 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. A total of 11 of our university’s disciplines were included in the ranking, with Agricultural Sciences placing 32nd worldwide and 13th among universities in mainland China.

Since launching the national Double First-Class initiative, NEFU has leveraged its two world-class disciplines, Forestry Engineering and Forestry, to drive disciplinary advancement. It has continuously strengthened institutional strategic planning, optimized its disciplinary structure, and promoted interdisciplinary integration, steadily enhancing its disciplinary development, talent cultivation, scientific and technological innovation, faculty development, internationalization, and overall strength. This breakthrough into the global top 0.1% of the ESI rankings further demonstrates NEFU’s growing strength and international reputation, marking another major achievement in its steady progress toward Double First-Class development. Taking this breakthrough as a new starting point, our university will continue to implement the Outline for Building China into a Leading Country in Education (2024–2035) and the national 15th Five-Year Plan for Education Development, while earnestly implementing the guiding principles of NEFU’s 14th Congress of the Communist Party of China and its 15th Five-Year Plan. Our university will remain committed to fulfilling its national mission, strengthening its academic foundations, deepening comprehensive reform, and pursuing innovation-driven development and excellence. It will enable more disciplines to make first-class contributions and advance toward international excellence, building strong momentum toward its goal of becoming a world-class university with Chinese characteristics and distinctive strengths in forestry science.