The global ranking of “Weizmann” dropped sharply after Iran’s missile response

According to Isna, the Weizmann Scientific Institute in the occupied territories has seen a significant drop in the prestigious “Nature Index” rating system following the boycott of scientific cooperation with the Zionist regime following the genocide of this regime in Gaza and being targeted by Iran’s missile attacks in response to the war imposed by the Zionist regime in June, which seriously damaged it.

The Zionist newspaper Yediot Aharanot reported about this: This institution has fallen to the 111th rank in the category of academic institutions and to the 122nd rank in the general table of research institutions of the world, which is its lowest position since the beginning of this index in 2014.

This drop in rank compared to last year’s 75th rank in the academic section and 82nd rank in the overall table shows a decrease of more than 25%. This downward trend from Weizman’s position at its peak in 2017, when this institution was ranked 54th in the world and 47th among academic institutions, has continued almost continuously.

According to this report, the drop in scientific rank is not only limited to Weizman, and other top research institutions in the occupied territories have also had a significant drop. “Hebrew University of Jerusalem” fell from 119 to 144, Technion Applied Research Institute from 178 to 194, and Ben Gurion University from 296 to 301. The only bright spot was Tel Aviv University, which rose from 154th to 152nd with relative stability.

The financial challenges of rebuilding Weizmann

This article was discussed further: The Nature Index ranking scheme, which started in 2014, measures the research output of institutions based on the number of articles published in 145 top scientific journals. This ranking is sensitive to the volume of publication, and declines in scientific production are quickly reflected in it. Harvard University is still at the top of this list.

These figures are not separate from the security reality of the occupied lands. Weizman compound in Rakhuvut was seriously damaged during the conflict with Iran last June. Two research buildings were completely destroyed and 112 other buildings, including 60 laboratories and 52 residential buildings for professors and students, were damaged.

According to Alon Chen, head of the Weizman Institute, about 52 research laboratories and 6 service laboratories were shut down, and 20 to 25 percent of research activity was stopped. The direct financial damage was estimated between 1.5 and 2 billion shekels. Chen, warning of difficulties in rebuilding due to financial challenges, said insurance claims are calculated based on depreciation and do not cover the actual cost of replacing advanced equipment, which has increased.

Weizman Institute is not willing to accept the decline of its scientific status

Yediot Aharanot, the author of this institution, in response to a request for explanations in this regard, trying to justify the drop in his scientific position, said that this index does not measure the data based on the size of the institution or the quality of research, and that its evaluation is in favor of very large institutions, but despite this, Weizman has maintained the sixth position in the world in more qualitative indices such as the Leyden ranking system.

This institution claimed that the data used is from 2024 and before the rocket attack on the premises of this institution.

However, the Zionist media, written by policymakers and prominent research figures, consider the statistics related to this institution as a worrying sign of the weakening of the scientific position of the occupied territories, especially against the background of the budget crisis, brain drain, and physical damage to the academic infrastructure.

During the war imposed by the Zionist regime against Iran, on the morning of Sunday, June 15, the Weizmann Institute in the city of Rahavot, south of Tel Aviv, was targeted by a missile attack, which is one of the most important research and scientific centers of the Zionist regime and is known as the “nuclear brain of Israel.”

This institute includes more than 30 scientific laboratories and conference halls and was active in the fields of mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, computer and other fields with a huge budget from the Zionists and the Zionist institutions and the cabinet of the Zionist regime.

With the establishment of a ceasefire and the removal of organized military censorship in the occupied territories, more reports were made about Iran’s fierce attacks on the Zionist regime.

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