In early April, Times Higher Education (THE) announced the first "University Impact Rankings" results at the "Innovation and Impact Summit" held in South Korea.
According to official introduction, this is a groundbreaking new ranking, a list that assesses universities' social impact based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing a balanced comparison of universities' research, outreach, and stewardship.
There are 17 SDGs in total, and THE evaluated universities' performance in 11 of them for this ranking, including:
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
SDG 17 is the mandatory SDG; the final score is calculated by combining the score of SDG 17 (weighted at 22%) with the top three scores from the remaining 10 SDGs (each weighted at 26%).
The ranking is open to all universities worldwide that teach undergraduates. 551 universities from 80 countries participated, and finally 462 universities from 76 countries were included in the overall ranking.
Unlike rankings that primarily focus on research, the University Impact Rankings presents a new diversified global university evaluation structure.
In this year's first ranking, the University of Auckland in New Zealand took the top spot, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) made the top 10, and no US universities were in the top 10.
In 2017, nearly one-third of the University of Auckland's graduates were from health-related disciplines. Additionally, nearly half of its female students are first-generation university students in their families, making its top score in gender equality well-deserved.
Japan had the most participating universities, with 41 institutions ranked, followed by the US (31) and Russia (30).
A total of 18 universities from China made the list, with the highest-ranked being the University of Hong Kong. Three Chinese mainland universities were included: Soochow University, University of South China, and Xiangtan University.
Below is THE's official Top 100 ranking:
This inaugural ranking by THE also illustrates that as a pivotal transition point into society, universities should be noticed not only for their teaching and research levels but also for their social impact, which deserves sufficient attention.
A well-rounded university not only helps students excel academically but also influences their understanding and promotion of sustainable development topics such as health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, and environmental protection, thereby benefiting society as a whole.
This is a bold experiment by THE, but it remains just a ranking. Rankings are for reference only and should not be the sole basis for university applications.
Finally, CheersYou（清柚教育） wishes all students applying in 2020 success in entering their dream schools!
