Still ranked among the best universities for societal impact

For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Iceland has been ranked among the top performing universities for social and economic impact, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The list was published recently where the University of Iceland is ranked highest of all Icelandic universities.

Times Higher Education has ranked universities based on their performance against indicators of global social and economic impact and advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. There are 17 SDGs, which were designed to guide nations towards a more sustainable way of life.  The SDGs address, for example, poverty, food security and hunger, health and well-being, gender equality, access to water and energy, responsible consumption and production, climate action, marine conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings take all 17 SDGs into consideration and each university is scored for its performance in advancing each individual goal. A university's overall ranking is then based on its top three SDG scores plus its score for Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals. 

The University of Iceland was evaluated to have performed best in goals concerning innovation and infrastructure (goal no 9), good health and well-being (goal no 3); as well as decent work and economic growth (goal no 8).  The University of Iceland's overall position in the THE Impact Rankings, which include a record number of 1,500 universities across the globe, is 400-600.  

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 impact on local and global communities. The universities ranking highest on this list are not necessarily the same that are considered the best in research and teaching according to prestigious university rankings; but those placing special emphasis on contributing as much as they possibly can to tackling current social challenges worldwide. 

As a national university, the University of Iceland endeavours to play an influential role in Icelandic society and support the nation to address major contemporary challenges, as stated in the UI strategy; "Better University for a Better Society." The strategy states that participation of the University community makes an invaluable contribution to the Icelandic role in the advancement of the SDGs. The University, furthermore, strives to be open and international; strengthening its international impact in both teaching, studies, research, and innovation. 

An overview of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 can be found on the Times Higher Education website.