ICI Excellence║Professors Cui Yunhuo and Lei Hao Named to Elsevier's 2025 "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers" List

On January 30, 2026, Elsevier officially released its 2025 "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers" list. This prestigious recognition features only 22 scholars nationwide in the field of Education, including Prof. Cui Yunhuo and Prof. Lei Hao from the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction (ICI).

This marks the fourth consecutive year Prof. Cui Yunhuo has earned this distinction and the third consecutive year for Prof. Lei Hao, underscoring their sustained global influence in educational research.

Faculty Profiles

Prof. CUI Yunhuo

Director of the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction (ICI); Executive Director of the National Center for School Curriculum and Textbook Development; Editor-in-Chief of Global Education.

Professor Cui is a leading figure in China’s national curriculum reform. He serves as a member of the National Textbook Committee and is recognized as a "National Leading Talent" in Philosophy and Social Sciences.

Research Areas: National curriculum reform, curriculum and pedagogical theory.

Key Publications: Author of Effective Teaching and School-Based Curriculum in China: Conceptions and Practices to Unleash School Vitality. He has published over 200 papers.

Distinctions: Recipient of multiple National Teaching Achievement Awards and the First Prize for Outstanding Scientific Research in Higher Education.

Prof. LEI Hao

Professor and PhD Supervisor at ICI; Vice Dean of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, East China Normal University.

In addition to his Elsevier recognition, Professor Lei was also named to Stanford University’s "World’s Top 2% Scientists" list (2024).

Research Areas: Curriculum reform, textbook utilization, and curriculum development.

Academic Contribution: He has led multiple National Social Science Fund projects and published over 60 papers in leading journals such as Educational Psychology Review (SSCI) and Educational Research(CSSCI).

Service: Reviewer for top-tier journals including Child Development.

Distinctions: Recipient of the National Teaching Achievement Award (First Prize) and the Shanghai Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award.

About the Ranking

The Elsevier "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers" list uses Scopus—the world’s leading citation and index database—as its primary data source. Developed in partnership with ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, the list evaluates scholars based on their objective research performance. It serves as a vital benchmark for institutional academic influence and highlights the core competitiveness of research universities in key disciplinary fields.