Several researchers based in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have made it onto the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds: 2014” list compiled by Thomson Reuters.
Otherwise dominated by traditional science powerhouses such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the list also includes academics based in Poland (5), Hungary (3), Czech Republic (2), Serbia (2), Lithuania (1), Slovenia (1), and Slovakia (1).
Some other scientists on the list originate from the region but are currently based abroad, such as Berislav Zloković, at University of Southern California, United States, who completed his PhD in Belgrade, Serbia.
Similarly, Ivica Letunić did his BSc in Zagreb, Croatia, before going to Germany, and is now based at Biobyte Solut GmbH, Germany. Or Željko Ivezić, who also graduated from the University of Zagreb and is now a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, United States.
They made it onto a list of some 3,200 individuals who published the greatest number of highly cited papers – those that rank in the top 1% by citations for their field and year of publication – in one of 21 broad fields, between 2002 and 2012.
“They are the people who are on the cutting edge of their fields,” the report released on 18 June says. “They are performing and publishing work that their peers recognize as vital to the advancement of their science. These researchers are, undoubtedly, among the most influential scientific minds of our time.”
The top minds from the region are:
Vladimir Rakočević, mathematician from the University of Niš, Serbia
Stevo Stević, mathematician at the Serbian Academy of Science, Serbia
Matjaz Perc, physicist at the University of Maribor, Slovenia
Marian Valko, researcher in pharmacology and toxicology at Constantine the Philosopher University, Slovakia
Pavel Hobza, chemist at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Petr Pysek, researcher in environment/ecology from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas, engineering researcher at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, in Lithuania
Peter Ferdinandy, researcher in pharmacology and toxicology at PharmaHungary Grp, Hungary
Istvan Csabai, researcher in space science at Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary
Istvan Simon, researcher in computer science at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary
Jurek Krzesinski, researcher in space science at Akad Pedog Krakowie, Poland
Andrzej Budaj, researcher in clinical medicine at the Grochowski Hosp, Poland
Michal Tendera, researcher in clinical medicine at the Medical University of Silesia, Poland
Jerzy Falandysz, researcher in environment/ecology, at Gdansk University, Poland
Jurek Krzesinski, researcher in space science at Akad Pedog Krakowie, Poland
“Science and innovation are strong drivers of the future – and these people are making that future come to life,” said Basil Moftah, president of Thomson Reuters IP & Science in a press release. “The global nature of the study highlights the countries, institutions and researchers on the cutting edge of science.”
He runs the section Balkan Science Beat.
EuroScientist journal 