News: Apr 04, 2019
The University of Gothenburg is on sixth place when Times Higher Education ranks the world’s higher education institutions based on the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is ranked as number one based on goal number 4 Quality Education. In its ranking, the Times Higher Education look into more than 460 universities from the whole world, based on criteria from 11 of the 17 SDGs in Agenda 2030.
The THE University Impact Rankings wants to draw a picture of the higher education institutions’ societal impact by measuring how they live up to the Sustainable Development Goals. The University of Gothenburg ranks as number 6 in total, which is the highest amongst the Nordic universities, and third of all European universities. However, only one more Swedish university – The Royal Institute of Technology, KTH – participated in this ranking, which was based on the universities’ own reports and other sources, such as bibliometrical data.
‘This is a very interesting ranking, and it’s also nice to see that many years of sustainable development work have an impact. I wish that more Swedish, as well as international, higher education institutions want to participate in these kinds of sustainable development rankings in the future,’ says Eva Wiberg, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gothenburg.
One of the global goals measured in the ranking was Goal 4 Quality Education, where the University of Gothenburg was ranked as number one. When it came to Goal 5 Gender Equality, the University of Gothenburg took third place, and when it came to Goal 3 Good Health and Well-being, the University of Gothenburg was number eight.
‘It’s very pleasant to get an acknowledgement that our activities at the University of Gothenburg to further a sustainable development is of excellent international quality. The systematic and industrious sustainability work which we have done during the years have now paid off; from multidiscipline environmental work, via systematic environmental management work to today’s work with the SDGs,’ says Eddi Omrcen, Sustainability Strategist at the University of Gothenburg.
The method used in the ranking is based on 11 of the 17 SDGs. The used indicators concern publications and quotations within relevant research; quantitative measures based on university staff and students; and qualitative measures, which concerns in what way the institutions themselves take actions to reach the goals through policies, outreach and co-operations.
‘The THE University Impact Rankings put focus on other aspects of universities’ activities than what is measured in the more established rankings. For the University of Gothenburg, this ranking is most welcome, since sustainable development is an important core value to us. The University is environmentally certified since 2004, and the results from this year’s external environmental audit show that our environmental management work is well established; that the environment and sustainable development is a part of our core activities; and that our monitoring work functions satisfactory,’ says expert on rankings Magnus McHale Gunnarsson, analyst at the University of Gothenburg.
FACTS
The THE University Impact Rankings first publication was 3 April 2019. The ranking is based upon data reported by 462 higher education institutions, and tried to measure the universities’ effort to reach the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Several leading universities didn’t participate in this investigation. From Sweden, KTH and the University of Gothenburg participated.
