The University of Copenhagen is home to the world’s best research environment in Sports Science

Since 2016, the Shanghai Ranking has published Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments, which compares the world’s leading research environments in sports science. The Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, together with the Institute of Sports Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital, hold this year’s the top position in the global ranking of 429 universities. This position is a repeat of the University’s top position in the latest rankings from 2018.

“We are extremely proud to have created the world’s leading research environment in our field. This reflects the excellent work of the research groups at our departments,” says Professor, Head of Department, Nikolai Nordsborg at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, he continues: “It is especially impressive, because our research groups address a wide range of fields and host research of high quality in many areas – from basic research in physiology, over nutrition research, to sports-related humanistic and social sciences research.”

Derived effects on education and the society

Erik A. Richter, Professor and Vice Head of Department for Research at Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports says that the strong research environments are of great importance for the work at the department: "Our extremely high level of research is of great importance for our ability to attract qualified researchers, both Danish and international and increases our general societal relevance through the derived effects on public health, well-being and life skills."

Professor Erik A. Richter adds: “The list is based on our work over the past five years. Our top placing since 2018 shows that this is not just a “snapshot”, but that we maintain a high quality and strong continuity in our research over time. This is a truly strong foundation for our work in the future.”

Published in the best scientific journals

That the two departments have maintained their position is also enthusiastically received at the Institute of Sports Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital, where Professor, DMSc Michael Kjær is Head of Department:

“The ranking is an overall expression of an assessment of several parameters. We are particularly proud that we have the highest score of all for publication of research papers in the best international scientific journals. Not only do we publish a large number of papers – we also publish the best, and we bring together findings in basic physiology with clinical treatment of sports injuries. It is a great pleasure to be acknowledged in this way, and I send this on right away to my research colleagues, nationally and internationally,” says Professor Michael Kjær.

Other Danish research environments on the list

Several Danish sports research environments rank high on this year’s list. The Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark is ranked 7, and Section for Sport Science at the Department of Public Health at Aarhus University is ranked highest of the sections between 51–100.

See this year’s full result of the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.

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