Recently, Times Higher Education, one of the four most authoritative world university rankings, released the latest World University Impact Rankings for 2022!
This is also the only ranking that evaluates global universities based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), considering research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
THE Impact Rankings Evaluation Methodology
Because these rankings focus on impact related to sustainable development, the evaluation mechanism differs from traditional university rankings.
First, let's look at some of the ranking indicators referenced by Times Higher Education:
These indicators are the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all, designed to collectively address global challenges. Universities that make this ranking demonstrate a strong sense of social responsibility and mission.
2022 THE Impact Rankings
Western Sydney University in Australia took first place overall, followed by Arizona State University in the United States in second, and Western University in Canada in third.
Let's take a look at the top ten of this ranking:
It is easy to see from the rankings that the top 10 countries are highly diverse, with no single country dominating, reflecting the ranking's global perspective and data-driven nature.
Times Higher Education also clearly indicates each school's alignment with SDG indicators. While all indicators are considered, the ranking reveals that SDG 17—"Partnerships for the Goals"—is consistently assigned a high weight.
The United Nations website provides a detailed explanation of SDG 17, highlighting its importance for global sustainability in the pandemic era:
Returning to the rankings, Western Sydney University in Australia achieved high scores in SDG 6—clean water and sanitation, SDG 12—responsible consumption and production, SDG 5—gender equality, and SDG 17—partnerships for the goals, earning it the top spot globally.
Arizona State University, ranked second overall, also scored highly in SDG 11—sustainable cities and communities, SDG 14—life below water, SDG 15—life on land, and SDG 17—partnerships for the goals.
Western University in Canada, ranked third overall, led in SDG 1—no poverty, SDG 2—zero hunger, SDG 9—industry, innovation, and infrastructure, and SDG 17—partnerships for the goals.
The 2022 overall ranking covers 1,406 universities from 106 countries/regions. Here we provide the overall TOP 100 for your reference!
It is worth mentioning that Fudan University was the dark horse this year, leading at 27th in the overall ranking and being the only university from mainland China on the list.
Selected Individual SDG Rankings
SDG 1: No Poverty
This ranking primarily assesses whether universities support and assist students from impoverished families, and the types of support provided. It also examines the university's contributions and research on poverty issues.
In the ranking, Western University in Canada, Queen's University in Canada, and the University of Johannesburg in South Africa took the top three spots.
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
This ranking mainly measures the academic research and social contributions that institutions make in solving hunger issues. This includes efforts to address hunger and food-related problems among individual students and local communities.
The top three universities in this ranking are Hokkaido University in Japan, Western University in Canada, and Kyoto University in Japan. Hokkaido University is the only institution on the list with a score exceeding 90.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
This ranking assesses universities' emphasis on health issues and healthcare services.
The top three institutions are the Iran University of Medical Sciences, the Australian Catholic University, and Taipei Medical University. It is clear that due to the pandemic, universities have placed greater emphasis on health, with the TOP 10 of this indicator showing high scores.
SDG 4: Quality Education
This ranking focuses on the contributions, research, and promotion that institutions make in the field of education.
Competition in this ranking is fierce, with Aalborg University in Denmark ranking first with a score of 91.5. King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and Lingnan University in Hong Kong, China, took second and third place.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
This ranking primarily measures the efforts institutions have made on gender equality issues. This includes policies introduced, the proportion of female faculty recruited, and a series of academic studies on gender.
The top three universities in this ranking are Chiang Mai University in Thailand, the University of Indonesia, and Western Sydney University in Australia.
Final Thoughts
When choosing a school, rankings can help us understand the situation of various universities in different fields, but they are still for reference only. The dazzling array of rankings can be confusing, but it is most important to see through the rankings and understand whether a school's strengths in various aspects match your own profile.
Rankings are not everything. Rational and personalized reflection based on rankings is the right path to selecting the right school!
