The University of Iceland has been ranked among the top 400 universities in the world for societal and economic impact based on delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in accordance with a list published by Times Higher Education this morning. This is the fifth year in a row that the University of Iceland has been included and we have improved on last year's ranking.
The list is entitled the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings and has been published annually since 2019. It 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). The SDGs were developed in response to the most urgent challenges now facing humankind, including global poverty and hunger, food security, 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 delivering each individual goal. The evaluation covers four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. A university's ranking is then based on its top three SDG scores plus its score for Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals.
The University of Iceland has made significant progress over the last year, climbing the rankings on seven lists for individual SDGs. According to the Times Higher Education, we have been most successful in delivering Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The University of Iceland is also ranked 101-200 for Goal 17, a significant improvement from last year's ranking of 601-800. Overall, the University of Iceland has been ranked 301-400 on this year's list, compared to 401-600 last year. A total of 1,700 universities in 115 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 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 prioritise tackling 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 delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The University also strives to be an open and international institution, which means maximising our global impact across all aspects of our mission: teaching, learning, research and innovation. These concerns will be top of the agenda at the University's annual forum, which will take place tomorrow, Friday 2 June.
An overview of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings can be found on the Times Higher Education website.