They are all named in a list of the top 100 living geniuses as part of a report carried out by the Synetics Survey of Contemporary Genius 2007. Synetics is a global business ideas consultancy company.

Professor Goto, a digital-photo artist, and Damien Hirst are the only British artists to be voted on to the list that examines the concept of genius and attempts to list the top 100 geniuses alive today.

A Fine Art academic, who manages the University of Derby's Open Studio Research Centre, Professor Goto is based at the University's new £21m Markeaton Street building, which was opened on Friday November 2 by the President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, who also features in the list at number 49.

The 2007 Survey placed Professor Goto in 58th place, sharing the spot with Jane Goodall, Kirti Narayan Chaudhuri, Paul McCartney, Stephen King and Leonard Cohen.

The overall title was taken by Swiss-based chemist Albert Hoffman and British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee.

Professor Goto, 58, from East Oxford, who has been at Derby for seven years, said: "It came as a complete surprise and I am very pleased to be in such good company, at least for the most part!"

"It's quite an idiosyncratic list, but it's thought-provoking and not the usual suspects you would expect. The list appears to be concentrating on the world as we find it and spans disciplines across the sciences, arts and other areas."

Visit Professor Goto's website: www.johngoto.org.uk or the Synetics World website: www.synecticsworld.com.