For the third consecutive year, the University of Iceland is among the top performing universities for social and economic impact according to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, which are based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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 wellbeing, 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 health and well-being; innovation and infrastructure; as well as responsible consumption and production. The University of Iceland's overall position in the THE Impact Rankings, which include a total of 1,115 universities across the globe, is 301-400.
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. 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. At the same time, growing international collaboration at the University has created more opportunities to make an impact beyond Iceland's borders.
"It is wonderful that the University of Iceland has been ranked among the best universities in the world for social impact for the third year running. A significant part of the University's work is about having a positive impact on our local community and we are always looking for ways to improve and strengthen that impact. We are also involved in the Aurora Alliance, a collaboration of prestigious European universities focusing on social impact, where climate and sustainability issues play a significant role. We intend to continue making a difference in these areas, for the benefit of Icelandic society," says Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland.