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Institution · Bonn · Germany

United Nations University

In research, United Nations University stands highest in Physical Sciences (#6,215 of 12,888 worldwide) and Environmental Science (#2,056 of 3,551 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Environmental Science — Environmental Science is 8.9× its share of world research.

unu.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#8,211
of 28,054 · #10,530 all time
Rank in Germany
#334
of 1,178
Research works
509
▲ 52% vs 2013–17
Citations
16k
30.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
31.8%
record average 16.5%
Open access
52%
world 28%

What is United Nations University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #6,215 of 12,888 26.7%89 #9055
Environmental ScienceField #2,056 of 3,551 25.4%69 #2064

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where United Nations University sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does United Nations University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Environmental Science takes 8.9× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Environmental ScienceField · 68.6 works8.9×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 1.74× its world share, 13 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.19× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.20× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.12× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.32× its world share, 6 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 1.54× its world share, 2 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.43× its world share, 10 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 8.89× its world share, 69 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.10× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.13× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.08× its world share, 0 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.93× its world share, 4 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.11× its world share, 3 worksMedicineNursing: 0.76× its world share, 1 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.20× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.33× its world share, 7 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.71× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.96× its world share, 3 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.53× its world share, 2 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 1.49× its world share, 29 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Environmental Science, 8.9×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at United Nations University?

Ranked on the composite score, Koko Warner, Kees van der Geest and János J. Bogárdi lead among researchers whose main affiliation is United Nations University.

  1. 1 Koko Warner Germany · #95,937 worldwide 200 citations · 34 works
  2. 2 Kees van der Geest Germany · #180,284 worldwide 148 citations · 22 works
  3. 3 János J. Bogárdi Germany · #182,164 worldwide 107 citations · 43 works
  4. 4 Ruediger Kuehr Germany · #260,794 worldwide 121 citations · 18 works
  5. 5 Michael Hagenlocher Germany · #823,506 worldwide 88 citations · 23 works
  6. 6 Erlijn van Genuchten Germany · #1,440,843 worldwide 7 citations · 23 works
  7. 7 Robert D. Oakes Germany · #1,624,428 worldwide 6 citations · 17 works
All ranked researchers at United Nations University

Which keywords describe research at United Nations University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Climate Change, Sustainability, Vulnerability, Global Warming, Remote Sensing, Environmental Impact, Resilience and Recycling.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Climate Change44▲ 10×59 topics
  2. Sustainability20▲ 5.4×40 topics
  3. Vulnerability14▲ 41×7 topics
  4. Environmental Impact13▲ 4.9×27 topics
  5. Remote Sensing12▲ 6.2×20 topics
  6. Global Warming11▲ 18×11 topics
  7. Renewable Energy11▲ 4.8×16 topics
  8. Resilience9▲ 12×7 topics
  9. Recycling9▲ 15×5 topics
  10. Waste Management8▲ 13×5 topics
  11. Climate Change Adaptation7▲ 27×2 topics
  12. Greenhouse Gas Emissions7▲ 17×8 topics
  13. Adaptation7▲ 16×5 topics
  14. Social Capital6▲ 7.7×6 topics
  15. Biodiversity6▲ 5.3×18 topics
  16. Public Health6▲ 2.7×8 topics
  17. Biodiversity Conservation6▲ 9.9×10 topics
  18. Risk Perception6▲ 13×4 topics
  19. Life Cycle Assessment6▲ 13×5 topics
  20. Health Effects5▲ 5.8×7 topics
  21. Satellite Imagery5▲ 26×2 topics
  22. Food Security5▲ 6.2×6 topics
  23. Hydrological Modeling5▲ 14×5 topics
  24. Community5▲ 27×1 topic
  25. Disaster5▲ 65×1 topic
  26. Ecosystem Services5▲ 8.1×9 topics
  27. Metal Recovery5▲ 16×2 topics
  28. Infectious Diseases5▲ 9.4×3 topics
  29. E-Waste4▲ 31×1 topic
  30. Environmental Impacts4▲ 11×2 topics
  31. Hazardous Substances4▲ 31×1 topic
  32. Flood Risk4▲ 35×1 topic
  33. Surface Water Mapping4▲ 37×1 topic
  34. Human Health4▲ 17×2 topics
  35. Sustainability Assessment4▲ 19×7 topics
  36. Social-Ecological Systems4▲ 19×3 topics
  37. Urbanization4▲ 6.3×5 topics
  38. Environmental Attitudes4▲ 31×2 topics
  39. Land Use Change4▲ 7.8×5 topics
  40. Public Perception4▲ 19×5 topics

Which research topics does United Nations University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Disaster Management and Resilience, Recycling and Waste Management Techniques, Flood Risk Assessment and Management and Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact.

Disaster Management and …5Disaster Management and Resilience: 5 fractional worksRecycling and Waste Mana…4Recycling and Waste Management Techniques: 4 fractional worksFlood Risk Assessment an…4Flood Risk Assessment and Management: 4 fractional worksAgriculture Sustainabili…3Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact: 3 fractional worksClimate Change and Health Impacts: 3 fractional worksClimate change impacts on agriculture: 3 fractional worksWater-Energy-Food Nexus …3Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies: 3 fractional worksEnvironmental Education and Sustainability: 3 fractional worksSustainability and Climate Change Governance: 2 fractional worksEnergy and Environment I…2Energy and Environment Impacts: 2 fractional works
Sociology and Political ScienceIndustrial and Manufacturing EngineeringGlobal and Planetary ChangeEcology5 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Disaster Management and Resilience Sociology and Political Science 5 works
  2. 2 Recycling and Waste Management Techniques Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering 4 works
  3. 3 Flood Risk Assessment and Management Global and Planetary Change 4 works
  4. 4 Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact Ecology 3 works
  5. 5 Climate Change and Health Impacts Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis 3 works
  6. 6 Climate change impacts on agriculture Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics 3 works
  7. 7 Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies Water Science and Technology 3 works
  8. 8 Environmental Education and Sustainability Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law 3 works
  9. 9 Sustainability and Climate Change Governance Global and Planetary Change 2 works
  10. 10 Energy and Environment Impacts Pollution 2 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available52.1%not open47.9%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors44.0%domestic only56.0%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has United Nations University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 52% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Bonn

All research institutions in Bonn

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.