University of Limerick has seen a major improvement in its position in the latest global ranking measuring institutions’ social and economic impact.
UL has climbed to 50th overall in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2021, which were announced this Wednesday.
The THE Impact Rankings assess the contributions made by universities worldwide to achieving a more sustainable world through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In total, 1,240 universities from 98 countries and regions have participated this year across the 17 SDGs.
In the overall THE Impact Rankings as UL is ranked 50th out of 1,115 universities this year – moving up from a 101-200 ranking out of 768 universities last year.
The major improvement in the overall ranking is a result of UL’s performance in SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goal) where UL is ranked 39th this year compared to 301-400 last year.
UL is ranked 10th globally for SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and is the top ranking Irish university in this category.
In the individual SDGs UL ranked in the top 50 in three categories. Highlights include:
- Ranked 10th for SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Top ranking Irish university
- Ranked 35th for SDG16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Ranked 3rd nationally
- Ranked 39th for SDG17: Partnership for the Goals. Ranked 3rd nationally
- Ranked 62nd for SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Ranked 4th nationally
UCC achieved an overall top 10 placement in the world’s best list, with four Irish universities achieving eight top 10 positions in total.
Reacting to the ranking announcement, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris said: “This is fantastic news, and while the exceptional standard of the Irish higher education system is no surprise to me, I am delighted to see our universities ranked so highly internationally for their work in creating a sustainable future.
“Sustainability is a significant economic and social challenge, and I look forward to working with the university sector and our partners in research and innovation to tackle it head-on.
“We know we have the talent, and now, with my Department’s full support, we can work across our sectors and outside our boxes to make ideas reality,” added Minister Harris.