Cairo:Cairo University has made a significant leap in the 2026 Leiden Ranking, securing a spot among the world's top 200 universities. The institution ranked 161st globally in the Open Edition among 2,964 universities and 245th in the Traditional Edition among 1,618 universities.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Cairo University improved its position by 49 places in the Open Edition and 34 places in the Traditional Edition compared to 2023. This advancement reflects enhancements in the university's research system and the quality and impact of its scientific output.

Cairo University President Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadek attributed the rise to the university's strategy, which emphasizes supporting researchers, promoting interdisciplinary research, adopting artificial intelligence and modern technologies, expanding international partnerships, and translating research into practical solutions for sustainable development.

Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research Mahmoud El-Saeed highlighted that the university published 9,357 research papers in the Open Edition, marking a 34% increase from 6,984 in 2023. The number of papers among the world's top 10% most influential rose by over 62% to 749, with 324 ranking among the top 5%.

In the Traditional Edition, Cairo University recorded 6,207 papers, with 495 among the top 10% and 221 among the top 5%. The 2026 rankings included 31 Egyptian universities in the Open Edition and 15 in the Traditional Edition, with Cairo University maintaining its lead nationally in both.

The Leiden Ranking, issued by Leiden University's Centre for Science and Technology Studies in the Netherlands, evaluates universities based on scientific publications and citations, using Web of Science for the Traditional Edition and OpenAlex for the Open Edition.