Several Australian universities have ranked high in the top 100 overall category with one being named the world’s best. FULL LIST: How did your uni score?
Western Sydney University (WSU) took out the coveted top spot in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings’ ‘overall’ category for its work towards addressing major global issues as identified by the United Nations.
Unlike other ranking systems which measure academic success or graduate employment opportunities, THE Impact Rankings, now in its fifth year, measures universities’ contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assesses them across four areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.
Western Sydney University took out the coveted top spot in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings’ 2023 ‘overall’ category.
Some of the UN’s goals include no poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.
THE Impact Rankings assessed 1705 universities from 115 countries in 18 categories.
The University of Tasmania finished in fifth spot, while Victoria’s RMIT University came in seventh.
There were 24 Australian universities in the ‘overall’ category, including 15 in the top 100, of which three were in the top 10.
It is the second year in a row WSU has taken out the number one spot, with its Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment research into the impact of climate change with agriculture, its clean water and sanitation project in India, and it’s approach to gender equality, helping it beat the UK’s University of Manchester and Canada’s Queen’s University to the top spot.
The University of Tasmania finished in fifth spot.
Australian universities placed first in seven of the individual categories this year, with WSU leading three of them: gender equality, responsible consumption and production, and partnerships for the goals.
Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Glover said being named the best in the world for two years running was “fabulous, remarkable and extraordinary”.
He said the UN’s goals were a “core part” of the university’s approach in determining the direction of research or teaching programs.
“(The Impact Ranking) speaks to the “great challenges of the 21st century that we face globally and it particularly emphasises the roles that universities play in applied research, educating graduates that are going to be leading change and our links around the world, that not even governments can do, to address these extraordinary challenging problems,” Prof Glover said.
Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Glover AO. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said the results showed Australia’s world-class universities were continuing to grow in strength and prominence.
“This is much deserved recognition for the central role our institutions play in a modern economy – from educating the next generation of skilled workers to conducting world-leading research,” Ms Jackson said.
“The results also reinforce the impact of the work our universities do, and are relied on for, in preparing Australia, our region, and the world for new challenges and opportunities.”
Western Sydney Uni students Sofija Kozul and Victoria Short on campus. Picture: Justin Lloyd
Times Higher Education chief knowledge officer Phil Baty said the Impact Ranking was moving away from the “traditional, more narrow approach to rankings and looks at the far broader issues – examining how universities are improving our world”.
“Universities in Australia absolutely smash THE’s Impact Ranking this year. It’s unbelievably impressive and is testament to how seriously those institutions, and the country, takes these critically important goals,” Mr Baty said.
Phil Baty, Times Higher Education chief knowledge officer.
THE IMPACT RANKINGS 2023: OVERALL TOP 10
1. Western Sydney University, Australia
2. University of Manchester, United Kingdom
3. Queen’s University, Canada
4. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
5. University of Tasmania, Australia
6. Arizona State University (Tempe), United States
=7. University of Alberta, Canada
=7. RMIT University, Australia
=9. Aalborg University, Denmark
=9. University of Victoria, Canada
=9. Western University, Canada
Source: Times Higher Education
THE IMPACT RANKINGS 2023: OVERALL TOP 100
1. Western Sydney University, Australia
2. University of Manchester, United Kingdom
3. Queen’s University, Canada
4. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
5. University of Tasmania, Australia
6. Arizona State University (Tempe), United States
=7. University of Alberta, Canada
=7. RMIT University, Australia
=9. Aalborg University, Denmark
=9. University of Victoria, Canada
=9. Western University, Canada
12. University of Auckland, New Zealand
13. University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
=14. Université of Laval, Canada
=14. University of Technology Sydney, Australia
=14. Yonsei University (Seoul campus), South Korea
17. Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
=18. University of Exeter, United Kingdom
=18. UNSW Sydney, Australia
20. University of Indonesia, Indonesia
21. Monash University, Australia
22. Hokkaido University, Japan
23. University of Bologna, Italy
=24. National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
=24. Newcastle University, United Kingdom
=26. University of British Columbia, Canada
=26. Michigan State University, United States
28. University of Newcastle, Australia
=29. Bournemouth University, United Kingdom
=29. University of Coimbra, Portugal
=29. University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
32. National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
33. McMaster University, Canada
=34. University of Calgary, Canada
=34. University of Galway, Ireland
=36. University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
=36. University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
38. Mahidol University, Thailand
39. Macquarie University, Australia
=40. Penn State (Main campus), United States
=40. York University, Canada
=42. Kyung Hee University, South Korea
=42. Kyungpook National University, South Korea
=42. University of Montreal, Canada
=42. University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
=46. University of Johannesburg, South Africa
=46. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
=46. University of Surrey, United Kingdom
=49. Kyoto University, Japan
=49. University of Leicester, United Kingdom
=49. University of Sussex, United Kingdom
=52. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India
=52. Cardiff University, United Kingdom
=52. University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
55. University of Waterloo, Canada
56. University of Essex, United Kingdom
57. La Trobe University, Australia
=58. Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
=58. University College Cork, Ireland
=58. Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
=61. University of Reading, United Kingdom
=61. University of Wollongong, Australia
63. University of Otago, New Zealand
=64. Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
=64. Bangor University, United Kingdom
66. Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
=67. National Taiwan University (NTU), Taiwan
=67. University of Saskatchewan, Canada
69. University of Pretoria, South Africa
70. University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom
71. Dublin City University, Ireland
=72. Griffith University, Australia
=72. Oklahoma State University, United States
=74. Brunel University London, United Kingdom
=74. Central Queensland University, Australia
=74. Chiang Mai University, Thailand
=77. University of Canterbury, New Zealand
=77. Durham University, United Kingdom
=79. Charles Sturt University, Australia
=79. University of Guelph, Canada
=79. University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
=79. Northumbria University, United Kingdom
=83. Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
=83. National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
85. Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom
=86. University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
=86. University of Limerick, Ireland
=86. Massey University, New Zealand
=86. Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
=86. Simon Fraser University, Canada
91. Politecnico di Milano, Italy
=92. University of Canberra, Australia
=92. Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico
=92. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States
=92. University of Waikato, New Zealand
96. Iowa State University, United States
=97. Khon Kaen University, Thailand
=97. Shanghai University, China
99. University of Toronto, Canada
=100. Dalhousie University, Canada
=100. Florida International University, United States
=100. University of Plymouth, United Kingdom
Source: Times Higher Education
Australian universities’ highest position in the 17 individual UN Sustainable Development Goals
1. No poverty: University of Newcastle – 18th
2. Zero hunger: University of Newcastle – 29th
3. Good health and well being: Australian Catholic University – 2nd
4. Quality education: Western Sydney University – 66th
5. Gender equality: Western Sydney University – 1st
6. Clean water and sanitation: Western Sydney University – 2nd
7. Affordable and clean energy: Western Sydney University – 21st
8. Decent work and economic growth: RMIT University – joint 1st
9. Industry innovation and infrastructure: UNSW University – 50th
10. Reduced inequalities: RMIT University – 1st
11. Sustainable cities and communities: Western Sydney University – 5th
12. Responsible consumption and production: Western Sydney University – 1st
13. Climate action: University of Tasmania – 1st
14. Life below water: Macquarie University – 1st
15. SLife on land: Western Sydney University – 2nd
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions: Australian National University – 3rd
17. Partnerships for the goals: Western Sydney University – 1st
Source: Times Higher Education