Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham enters top 50 in THE Impact Rankings 2022

Lovely Professional University (74th) joins Amrita (41st) in the global top 100

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has broken into the global top 50 in Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022 that measure universities’ contributions to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham was ranked 41st globally, Lovely Professional University joined the top 100 at 74th place. India is the fourth best represented nation in the impact rankings with 64 universities, of which eight made it to the global top 300 list.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings assess university commitment to sustainability across four broad areas — teaching, research, stewardship, and outreach — with progress measured for each of the individual 17 SDGs, as well as across the goals as a whole.

The 17 SDGs are no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals.

According to Phil Baty, chief knowledge Officer, THE, universities outside the traditional Western elites were shining out as beacons in this fresh approach to rankings, giving an exciting new perspective on a diverse sector and broadening student choice.

Apart from an overall ranking of 41, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham also claimed the eighth place for SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality). Lovely Professional University, on the other hand, was placed sixth for SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy).

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

While data was collected from universities and Elsevier and the metrics were developed in partnership with Vertigo Ventures, the findings were displayed across 18 league tables, one for each of the 17 individual SDGs, and one overall ranking table. To appear in the overall rankings, universities must have submitted to SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals) and a minimum of three other SDGs. The rankings calculated the score based on different weightage including 22 per cent for SDG 17 and 26 per cent each for top, second and third best scoring SDG.

Overall ranking of 1,406 universities was topped by Australia as Western Sydney University was named number one in the world in impact rankings. 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.

Meanwhile, the UK has the most universities in the top 100 of the overall table at 20. Australia is close behind with 17 in the top 100, followed by 16 in Canada and seven in New Zealand.