Afghanistan Ranks Higher than Tajikistan in Global Scientific Output

Fresh data from the Scimago scientific ranking system shows Afghanistan has achieved a higher position than Tajikistan in the global list of scientific production.

According to the rankings, based on information from the Scopus citation database, Tajikistan holds 147th place worldwide, while Afghanistan is ranked 137th. In Asia, Afghanistan is 26th and Tajikistan 27th. Afghanistan has faced decades of war and political instability.

The results have drawn reactions from Tajik scientific officials. Seifuddin Dolatzoda, head of Tajikistan's Supreme Scientific Accreditation Commission, said at a press conference he felt ashamed of the situation. "A country in peaceful conditions and supported by the government should not lag behind a country that has been at war for years," he added. He attributed the issue to structural weaknesses in Tajikistan's scientific system.

The commission explained that limited publication of articles in reputable international journals and weak presence of domestic journals in global databases contributed to Tajikistan's low ranking. Officials announced plans including regional and global scientific conferences and educational seminars to boost Tajik researchers' international presence and register local journals in reputable databases.

In Central Asia, Kazakhstan leads and Uzbekistan holds second place, with Tajikistan ahead only of Turkmenistan. Globally, the United States, China and Britain top the list.

Scimago is a dynamic system covering data from 1996 to 2024, updated every two years. Experts say Tajikistan's response could show results in the next update.