National and International Research Collaboration across GCC Universities: Impact on Institutional Research Performance and Global Ranking, Tatiana Karabchuk, Aizhan Shomotova, Mostafa Mohamad
Tatiana Karabchuk
United Arab Emirates University
UAE
ORCID: 0000-0001-5794-0421
Aizhan Shomotova
Khalifa University
UAE
ORCID: 0000-0002-1168-9224
Mostafa Mohamad
Zayed University
UAE
ORCID: 0000-0001-7172-1110
Type of Paper: Research
Received: 29 November 2025 / Revised: 17 March 2026 / Accepted: 19 March 2026 / Published: 15 September 2026
DOI: 10.47556/J.WJEMSD.22.6.2026.4
Purpose: This paper examines how national and international research collaboration links with universities’ performance and their global rankings in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis is based on the bibliometric data from SciVal (2019-2024). This allowed us to apply Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression modelling to define predictors of research performance indicators and ranking among 114 universities in GCC countries.
Findings: We found that international and national collaborations are strong predictors of citation impact, research visibility, and publication quality for ranked universities, while non-ranked universities experience much smaller impact.
Originality/value: The paper provides the first comparative statistical analysis linking collaboration patterns with global rankings in the GCC countries and empirical evidence, demonstrating the impact of national/international collaboration on institutional visibility, and highlighting the limitations of existing ranking systems in the region.
Practical Implications: This paper will guide university administrators and leadership in establishing national/international collaboration priorities to climb global rankings.
Keywords: National and International Collaboration; Research Performance; QS Ranking; Gulf Universities; Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.
Citation: Karabchuk, T., Shomotova, A. and Mohamad, M. (2026): National and International Research Collaboration across GCC Universities: Impact on Institutional Research Performance and Global Ranking. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development (WJEMSD), Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 545-567.