Higher on the list of the top universities for societal impact

The University of Iceland is ranked among the 201 - 300 top in the world for societal and economic impact based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in accordance with a list published by Times Higher Education. A new list was published last week and the University has improved on last year’s ranking for the third consecutive year.   

The University of Iceland has been included on the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings since it was first published in 2019.  The ranking is based on an evaluation of how well universities perform against indicators of global social and economic impact and advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
Each university gets a score for its performance in connection with each of the SDGs that concern many of today’s most dire challenges.  Ranking on the list is subject to the universities' performance in the three UN goals where they are strongest, as well as performance on goal 17, partnership for the goals. 

According to the new ranking the University of Iceland is doing best in SDGs concerning innovation and infrastructure (goal 9), responsible consumption and production (goal 12), and good health and well-being (goal 12); in all of these lists it is ranked 101-200. The University of Iceland is also ranked 301-400 for Goal 17, resulting in this year’s overall ranking of 201-300. Last year the university was ranked 301-400 on the Impact Ranking list and 401-600 in 2022. A total of 2,100 universities in 125 different countries were evaluated this year. 

The THE Impact Rankings stand out from other well-known university performance tables in that they evaluate not only research, teaching, and international scientific impact but also their impact on local and global communities. The top universities on this list are not necessarily the universities ranked best for research and teaching, but rather those that contribute the most to solving the most pressing global issues of our time. 

The Strategy of the University of Iceland, UI26, clearly states our commitment to making a positive impact on local communities and focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability and Diversity are one of the four main priorities of the UI26 strategy. This means that the University will lead the way in sustainability through teaching, research, and knowledge creation, thus supporting the community, and working towards university operations being sustainable and carbon neutral. Furthermore, the University works on sustainability within the Aurora University network, and during its recent biannual the universities signed a Common Footprint Reduction Plan.  

An overview of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings can be found on the Times Higher Education website.