Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science Drops in World Academic Rankings
The sharp decline comes amid a growing academic boycott of Israel following its genocidal assault on Gaza and an Iranian missile strike that hit the institution in June last year.
Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science has recorded a historic fall in global academic rankings, the Quds News Network (QNN) reported on Thursday.
The 2025 Nature Index reportedly placed the institute at 111th among academic institutions and 122nd overall, the report stated, adding that it previously ranked 47th among academic institutions at its peak.
The sharp decline comes amid a growing academic boycott of Israel following its genocidal assault on Gaza. It also follows an Iranian missile strike that hit the institution in June last year, as the Israeli occupation army continues to use it for military purposes.
Lowest Ranking since 2014
The 2025 Nature Index, published by the esteemed scientific journal Nature, marks the first time Weizmann has fallen outside the world’s top 100, applicable to both the academic institutions list and the overall institutions ranking, the report stated.
In the academic category, the institute dropped from 75th place last year to 111th. While in the overall table, it fell from 82nd place to 122nd.
This represents a decline of more than 25 percent in a single year, according to QNN.
The ranking is the lowest for Weizmann since the Nature Index began in 2014. In 2017, the institute ranked 54th overall and 47th among academic institutions. Since then, the trend has moved steadily downward, the report added.
Nuclear Research Links
Last year, allegations came to the fore that the Weizmann Institute of Science, damaged in Iran’s missile attacks, is linked to nuclear research and military projects, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Two research buildings were “completely destroyed and 112 structures were damaged, including 60 laboratories,” the Israeli Ynet News website reported.
The downturn has affected much of Israeli academia, it noted, with several universities having reported lower research output.
The Hebrew University of occupied Jerusalem fell from 119th to 144th place, the report stated, while the Technion in Haifa dropped from 178th to 194th and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev slipped from 296th to 301st.
Role in Occupation
Israeli universities play an active role in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, QNN reported, providing academic programs tailored for soldiers and officers, including courses developed in direct cooperation with the Israeli military.
Beyond teaching, Israeli universities “contribute directly to military innovation,” establishing military research centers that focus on developing combat technologies, including systems designed to reduce drone noise and improve surveillance and attack capabilities, the QNN report stated.
It added that these institutions “also participate in the design and manufacture of military technologies that are supplied to the Israeli army and exported worldwide, embedding the academic sector in the global arms industry.”
Staggering Death Toll
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 71,300 Palestinians, with more than 171,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(PC, QNN)