THE DEPUTY Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford has been ranked the 5th best in the UK and the 31st best in the world for his scholarly work.

Professor Zahir Irani has received the prestigious rankings on account of the 22,663 citations and 294 publications to his name.

Professor Irani, who in 2020 was named as one of the district’s main influencers by The Sunday Times, said he hoped that his achievements could help to motivate and inspire others.

The listings were posted by the Guide2Research website, which uses data collected from scientific journals and sites to gauge the visibility and influence of recent articles which have been written by academics.

“I think it’s important to demonstrate that, as senior academic leaders, we can remain active in terms of our research, which is ultimately motivated by intellectual curiosity,” said Professor Irani.

“I went into academia for the space to convert my ideas into impact, and even though I have significant responsibilities, I think it’s important for people in my position to set examples to motivate and inspire others.

“The University of Bradford cultivates an ambitious research-intense environment where scholarly research is very much integrated into the curriculum and informs the content of many other institutions across the world.”

Professor Irani added he aimed to set a tone, pace and standard for others to follow, finding a balance between many of the activities that define the modern academic.

Some of his recent papers include: ‘Role of big data and social media analytics for business to business sustainability’, ‘Managing food security through food waste and loss: Small data to big data’, ‘Gaining strategic insights into Logistics 4.0: expectations and impacts’’ and Artificial intelligence and food security: swarm intelligence of AgriTech drones for smart AgriFood operations’.

Professor Irani is also an active and passionate member of the community, and is lead architect of the Bradford District Council Economic Recovery Plan (2021-2026).

He recently met with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to push for a new rail hub for Bradford, and presented the District’s Recovery Plan to the former Chancellor in Westminster.

He is also an active volunteer and governor for the Bradford District NHS Care Trust and a member of the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Senior Leaders Group.

Information on the methodology of the ranking can be found here.