ICI Honors║Lei Hao and Zhang Wei Recognised Again in Global Citation Impact Listing

Professors Lei Hao and Zhang Wei of East China Normal University’s Institute of Curriculum and Instruction have again been included in the education category of the annual citation impact listing commonly known as the World’s Top 2% Scientists list, according to the Institute’s announcement of the 2026 edition.

The announcement reports that 34 scholars in education across China were included in the annual listing. Lei has appeared in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions, while Zhang has been included each year from 2023 to 2026.

Recognising citation impact

Developed by John P. A. Ioannidis and colleagues in collaboration with Elsevier, the database draws on Scopus citation data and distinguishes single-year from career-long impact. Its composite measures consider citations, the h-index, a co-authorship-adjusted index and citations associated with different authorship positions.

The recognition reflects the reach of researchers’ publications within the scholarly literature. It is a measure of citation impact rather than a comprehensive assessment of research quality, teaching or contributions to educational practice.

Lei Hao

Lei is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Institute and Vice President of ECNU’s Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences. His research focuses on curriculum reform, textbook use and curriculum development. 

He has led major Ministry of Education research projects in philosophy and social sciences and key education projects supported by the National Social Science Fund. His publications include more than 30 articles in SSCI-indexed journals, including Educational Research Review, and more than 30 articles in CSSCI-indexed Chinese journals, as reported in the announcement.

Lei has written on learning-centred teaching and contributed to the interpretation of China’s 2022 compulsory education curriculum framework. His work has received national and Shanghai awards for humanities and social sciences research, and he has also appeared repeatedly in Elsevier’s list of highly cited Chinese researchers in education.

Zhang Wei

Zhang is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Institute, Director of the International Centre for Research on Supplementary Education, Executive Director of the International Centre for UNESCO ASPnet, and an honorary professor at Aarhus University.

Her research addresses global education governance, comparative education and policy, with a particular focus on supplementary education. She has served as a research adviser and expert committee member for international organisations and public agencies, including work relating to private tutoring regulation and the review of educational materials.

Her research has informed the work of UNESCO, the World Health Organization, the OECD and education ministries in several countries. She has also received an annual best paper award from the European Journal of Education. Her work connects research on supplementary education with wider debates about educational governance and policy.