Recently, Clarivate released the latest Essential Science Indicators (ESI) statistics for January 2026. A research paper authored by Dr. Wang Canghong, a faculty member in the Management Department of the School of Accounting and Finance at Xi’an Peihua University, serving as the corresponding author, was selected as an ESI Global Top 1% Highly Cited Paper. It marks significant international academic recognition for the research achievement.
The paper, titled “Robots for sustainability: Evaluating ecological footprints in leading AI-driven industrial nations”, was published in March 2024 in the top-tier international SSCI journal Technology in Society. Published by Elsevier, this journal is classified as Q1 in the JCR ranking, with an impact factor of 12.5 in 2025. It ranks within the top 1% in the field of social issues and interdisciplinary social sciences, establishing itself as a highly influential academic platform globally.
ESI, a globally recognized tool for evaluating research performance, employs stringent criteria for selecting highly cited papers. These papers rank in the top 1% by citation count within the same publication year and subject field, based on papers indexed in the SCIE and SSCI databases over the past decade. This makes the selection a core indicator of the international impact of academic achievements. Dr. Wang’s research earned this distinction due to its clear innovative value and practical significance. The study moves beyond traditional panel data methods by innovatively employing the Quantile-on-Quantile (QQ) method to systematically investigate the impact mechanism of industrial robots on the ecological footprint. This approach not only facilitates a comprehensive global analysis but also accurately captures country-specific heterogeneity. The research confirms that, across different data quantile intervals in the selected sample countries, industrial robots can significantly improve environmental quality by reducing the ecological footprint, providing crucial empirical support for the coordinated advancement of global intelligent manufacturing and low-carbon development. Furthermore, the study reveals notable differences in the asymmetric relationships between industrial robots and the ecological footprint across countries, offering policymakers targeted and actionable insights for decision-making. This underscores the importance of formulating nuanced strategies for industrial development and ecological management.
The selection of this paper as an ESI Highly Cited Paper not only highly affirms Dr. Wang Canghong’s academic capabilities but also represents a significant breakthrough for the university in the interdisciplinary field of artificial intelligence and sustainable development. It highlights the university’s international standing and research innovation capabilities in disciplinary development. In the future, the university will continue to focus on cutting-edge academic directions, encourage interdisciplinary research exploration, and contribute greater wisdom and strength to advancing academic progress and fostering sustainable social development.
