Prof. Dr. Ákos Lakatos, Head of the Department of Building Services and Building Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Debrecen, has achieved another significant international scientific success. Following last year's recognition, the professor has now been included among the world's top 2% of scientists in the ranking that evaluates researchers' entire scientific careers.
What Does It Mean to Be Among the World's Top 2% of Scientists?
The internationally recognized scientific ranking, compiled by researchers at Stanford University in collaboration with Elsevier and commonly known as the Stanford List, uses data from the Scopus database to assess the scientific impact and international citation performance of researchers.
The Stanford List is one of the world's most widely recognized citation-based rankings of scientists. It evaluates researchers across 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields, using indicators such as citation counts, the h-index, and composite metrics that also account for authorship contributions.
Being included in the ranking indicates that a researcher's scientific work has made an outstanding impact within their field on an international scale. The recognition therefore reflects not only the number of publications but also their scientific influence, citation impact, and international significance.
From Annual Recognition to Career-Long Scientific Achievement
The ranking is published annually in two categories. The single-year ranking assesses researchers' citation impact during a particular year, while the career-long ranking evaluates the cumulative impact of their scientific work throughout their careers, beginning with their first scientific publication.
Following his previous success in the single-year ranking, Prof. Dr. Ákos Lakatos has now also been included in the 2026 career-long ranking, based on data available up to December 31, 2025.
This latest recognition is particularly significant, as it reflects not merely the scientific impact achieved in a single year but the cumulative results of the professor's sustained research efforts over the course of his career, confirming their international significance.
Research Achievements with International Impact
Prof. Dr. Ákos Lakatos's scientific activities primarily focus on building energy performance, building physics, and the thermal properties of construction materials. His research contributes to improving the energy efficiency of buildings, investigating the properties of thermal insulation materials, and promoting the development of a sustainable built environment.
These research areas are particularly important today, as reducing energy consumption in buildings, developing energy-efficient technologies, and integrating sustainability considerations have become major scientific and engineering priorities worldwide.
The professor's inclusion among the world's top 2% of scientists demonstrates that his research findings have generated significant international scientific interest and maintained their impact over time.
A Success That Further Strengthens the Faculty's International Scientific Reputation
This latest achievement represents another important milestone in the scientific life of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Debrecen. The professor's international recognition is not only a personal professional accomplishment but also enhances the Faculty's scientific visibility, the international recognition of its research achievements, and its academic reputation.
The achievement also demonstrates that research conducted at the Faculty of Engineering is internationally competitive and produces scientific results that make a lasting contribution to the development of their respective fields.
The Faculty of Engineering warmly congratulates Prof. Dr. Ákos Lakatos on this prestigious international recognition and wishes him continued success in his research activities and further outstanding scientific achievements!
The professor's results are available in the international ranking database.
Cs.K.