Debrecen4U April 21, 2026

The Journal of the Faculty of Engineering in Debrecen Joins the Ranks of Leading Professional Publications

The SCImago Journal & Country Rank has placed the journal International Review of Applied Sciences and Engineering, published by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen, among the top 25 per cent—i.e. the most prestigious academic journals—in one of its subject areas. According to SCImago, the journal also advanced in three other classification categories last year, the university reported.

The International Review of Applied Sciences and Engineering (IRASE) has moved up to a Q1 ranking in the architecture category, Q2 in engineering, and Q3 in management science and operational research in the SCImago Journal & Country Rank.

Géza Husi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Debrecen, stated that this classification is particularly significant as the journal now holds at least a Q3 ranking across virtually all relevant subject areas, indicating a stable and balanced international position. “The results achieved provide clear confirmation of the conscious scientific and quality development strategy pursued by the faculty in recent years. The strengthening of IRASE’s position closely aligns with the faculty’s strategic objectives, particularly increasing international scientific visibility, consistently improving publication quality, and integrating applied engineering and architectural sciences. The current rankings also validate a strategic decision made three to four years ago, specifically aimed at improving international classification,” the dean said.

The faculty leader emphasised that IRASE’s results are not an isolated success, but rather indicators of a broader qualitative shift in the institution’s scientific performance. The change in approach observed in recent years—placing greater emphasis on high value-added scientific outcomes measurable by international standards—is clearly reflected in this journal ranking.

According to Géza Husi, IRASE’s current classification will sustainably strengthen the position of both the Faculty of Engineering and the university in technical fields, particularly in terms of the quality and attractiveness of doctoral training, research and development activity, grant participation, and international scientific cooperation.

Ákos Lakatos, Editor-in-Chief of International Review of Applied Sciences and Engineering and Head of Department at the Building Services and Facility Engineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering, added that the SCImago ranking also means that IRASE has taken a leading position among Hungarian university-affiliated journals in similar technical fields.

The journal was founded in 2010 by the faculty leadership; editorial duties were carried out by Ferenc Kalmár until 2020, when he was succeeded by Ákos Lakatos. “Since its launch, the journal has undergone continuous development: it was indexed in Scopus in 2017, and has been ranked by SCImago since 2018. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it competes across several subject areas, and thanks to the dedicated work of both past and current editors, it continues to show steadily improving indicators,” the editor-in-chief highlighted.

Ádám Szabó, a staff member of the Research Support Department of the University and National Library of the University of Debrecen, noted that the university currently publishes more than 50 journals. Of these, 38 operate on the Dejournals platform, the university’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) interface. IRASE is published by Akadémiai Kiadó.

Dejournals is a Diamond Open Access platform operated by the university. Through this, the library provides journals with technical support as well as professional assistance in increasing their visibility. “In recent years, these publications have undergone significant professional development: their international visibility has strengthened, their pool of authors has expanded, and they increasingly meet international indexing and quality standards. This trajectory clearly demonstrates that academic journals are dynamically adapting to the evolving expectations of scholarly communication,” Ádám Szabó explained.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu