On May 13, 2021, Clarivate Analytics released the latest Essential Science Indicators (ESI) ranking data. For the first time, the Environment and Ecology discipline at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) ranks among the top 1% of all institutes in the world. This makes Environment and Ecology the fifth discipline at SUSTech to rank within the top 1% of the world, following Chemistry, Materials Sciences, Engineering, and Clinical Medicine.

The ESI ranking is based on citation statistics for the period from 2011 to 2021. During this time, a total of 544 ESI papers on environmental science and ecology were published, with a total of 4785 citations. These papers were mostly published by faculty and students from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, the Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The School of Environmental Science and Engineering was established in May 2015. The fact that the Environment/Ecology discipline is ranking top 1% in the world after only six years is a testament to its rapid development and the high quality of its research.

The ESI is an analytical tool that helps identify top-performing research based on the Web of Science Core Collection. ESI surveys more than 12,000 journals worldwide to rank authors, institutions, countries, and journals in 22 broad fields based on publication and citation performance. The data covers a rolling 10-year period and includes bi-monthly updates to rankings and citation counts. It should be noted that ESI is only a partial reflection of scientific research performance, and it is not the sole indicator of academic excellence and innovation.