THE Impact Rankings 2022: India fourth best represented nation, 8 varsities in top 300

In South Asia, India breaks through into the world’s top 50, with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham claiming 41^st place in the overall table and eighth place for SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality). Lovely Professional University makes the top 100 at joint 74^th place in the overall table and is sixth for SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy). India is the joint fourth most-represented nation across the rankings, with 64 universities featuring in total (the same number as Turkey).

Calcutta University has been ranked first among all the central and state-aided public universities in the country by Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022. The varsity has been ranked 14th globally in the ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ sub-category.

At least 64 universities from the country featured in the rankings making India the fourth best-represented country. As many as eight universities from India made it into the top 300 list globally. OP Jindal Global University (JGU) has also featured in the 600-800 band. The university has achieved a score of 60.3 out of 100.

Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences is second in the world for SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), and sixth for SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), while KIIT University is joint eighth for SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).

THE Impact Rankings claim to be the “world’s only rankings measuring universities’ contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” and it assesses university commitment to sustainability across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. Progress is measured for each of the individual 17 SDGs, as well as across the goals as a whole.

A record 1,524 institutions from 110 countries/regions have participated across the rankings this year, a 23 per cent increase since last year, reflecting the growing importance of the SDGs within higher education institutions globally.

Australia’s Western Sydney University claims the top spot in the overall ranking, which includes 1,406 institutions, after topping the table for SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and coming second in SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).

Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer, THE, said, “It is inspiring to see such a large, diverse and rapidly-growing community of universities from all continents committed to subjecting themselves to scrutiny, to measure and demonstrate their impact and to showcasing the best practice in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Students, as well as governments, are increasingly demanding such commitments and these demands will strengthen.”

He added, “It is particularly exciting to see that universities outside the traditional Western elites are shining out as beacons in this fresh approach to university rankings, giving an exciting new perspective on a diverse sector and broadening student choice.”