This year, 1,211 universities from 98 countries and territories were evaluated in the 2026 Life Sciences ranking, using 18 proven and rigorous performance indicators, the same as in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, but adapted for the fields of biological sciences.

Southern Federal University demonstrates a stable and competitive position, confirming its status as the leading scientific and educational center in the South of Russia.

The Life Sciences rating areas cover the following disciplines: Biological Sciences (including biology and biochemistry), Agriculture and Forestry, Veterinary Medicine, etc. It is in these fields of science that Southern Federal University has achieved high results, rising to the 400-500 group, and took the second place in the ranking among Russian universities, sharing it with RUDN University and ITMO. Last year, SFedU was the third in this ranking among Russian universities.

"The high place in the rating is quite natural and deserved. The D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Medicine of the Southern Federal University trains specialists in various fields of life sciences, including biology, soil science, biotechnology, bioengineering, and bioinformatics. World-class scientific research is conducted at eight departments in 29 scientific laboratories of the Academy. Over the years, leading schools in ecology, soil science, genetics, physiology, and biochemistry have developed. The department employs outstanding scientists, six of whom are among the world's TOP 2 in terms of citations. Every year, employees win dozens of grants and projects, including international ones, and the total funding for scientific research in 2025 amounted to almost half a billion rubles. The staff of scientific laboratories includes more than a hundred students and postgraduates of the University, not only biologists, but also other departments (Institute of Earth Sciences, Physics Faculty, Chemical Faculty, Institute of Mathematics, Mechanics and Computer Science, etc.)," said Kamil Kazeev, Director of the D.I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Medicine of the Southern Federal University.

"Our university is an important scientific and educational center due to its rich past and promising future. Participation in the Priority 2030 program has become an important step for the university, providing new opportunities and support to achieve ambitious goals. Over the past three years, 12 laboratories have been opened under the program, employing more than 140 young scientists. This creates favorable conditions for the generation and implementation of innovative ideas.",

- shared by Tatiana Minkina, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the strategic technological project of the SFedU "Technologies of Soil Bioengineering" of the Priority 2030 program.

SFedU will join the new national project "Bioeconomics", which will start in our country in 2026. The University has a serious scientific reserve in the field of biology, ecology and soil science to work on it. A key contribution will be the scaling up of the current strategic project "Soil Bioengineering Technologies" led by Professor Tatiana Minkina. These developments to restore land and increase yields directly meet the goals of the national project. SFedU is ready to contribute to the technological sovereignty of the country, acting as both a research center and a training platform for the new bioeconomy.