EUniWell universities score high on global ranking list
The Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings rank higher education institutions based on their social and economic impact which are assessed in compliance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ranking includes a total of 1,117 universities from all around the world. According to the Impact Rankings 2021, Semmelweis University is among the top 10 universities in the world in the category of ‘Good Health and Well-Being’, the University of Nantes occupies the 44th place in the world in ‘Access to education for all’, Linnaeus University is in the top 100 universities within the area of ‘Quality education’ and the University of Florence scored 63rd in ‘Industry innovation and infrastructure’. The EUniWell partner universities of Birmingham, Cologne and Leiden did not participate in the THE Impact Ranking 2021.
Semmelweis University was ranked 10th in the category of ‘Good Health and Well-Being’, which is an outstanding result and a remarkable recognition of the university’s activities in health care. This position makes Semmelweis University the only university in mainland Europe among the top 10 universities in this category. This ranking focuses on the universities’ research activities on those conditions and diseases that have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes across the world, their support for healthcare professions, and the health of students and staff. The scores are determined based on the assessment of three areas: the number of research papers and their proportion of views, downloads and citations; the proportion of health graduates and the university’s collaborations and health services promoting, improving health care.
University of Nantes scored also particularly well on SDG 3 and 4, which are at the core of EuniWell goals. The University of Nantes was particularly distinguished in the category ‘Access to education for all’ as it was ranked 44th in the world. In ‘Peace, justice and strong institutions’ it ranked 92nd.
The University of Nantes is the best ranked French institution among the universities that ensure equal access to education, without distinction between women and men, throughout life and at an affordable cost. This good performance is based, among other things, on its vocational training activities, held notably at the “Permanent University”, the knowledge-sharing mechanisms, such as public events or the university’s WebTV.
SDG 16 takes into account the dynamism and democratic functioning of the authorities and decision-making bodies within the institution. The University of Nantes is recognized for its ability to organize an inclusive and transparent institutional life, reinforced in 2020 by the creation of the University Democracy Mission. Goal 16 also concerns the relations established by the university with local, regional or national institutions, such as the local/regional networks and partnerships or the investment of the researchers within the framework of the regional network of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Holding its position in the top 200 of world universities was also possible thanks to the actions carried out by the University of Nantes which are in line with:
- SDG 3, one of the SDGs at the core of EUniWell (measures implemented for the well-being and health of students and staff),
- SDG 8: ‘Actions to guarantee fair and favorable working conditions for all’ and
- SDG 17: ‘Building strong partnerships to meet the SDGs’.
Linnaeus University places itself among the top 100 universities within the area SDG 4: ‘Quality education’, and among the top 200 within the area SDG 8: ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’; SDG 11: ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’; and within SDG 13: ‘Climate Action’. In the overall result, Linnaeus University places itself in place 301–400 out of a total of 1,115 universities.
The fact that Linnaeus University take place on a highly honouring 85th place within the area of education provides energy for the university for the continued development work.
Semmelweis University was also evaluated in five other areas: in the category of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production; Gender Equality; Climate Action, Partnerships for the Goals. Based on the overall results, Semmelweis University is positioned among the universities ranking between 400-600.
University of Florence is characterized by an excellent score for SDG 9: ‘Industry innovation and infrastructure’. Other strengths of the university are the SGD 3: ‘Good health and well-being’, SDG 11: ‘Sustainable cities and communities’ and SDG 17: ‘Building partnerships to meet the SDGs goals’.
From research to innovation, from professors to students, the commitment to expand the presence of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is constantly growing within the university of Florence and not only in the sectors mentioned above.
THE Impact Ranking was first released in 2019, when more than 450 universities in 76 countries were included in the list. In recent years, however, the number of institutions in the ranking has increased significantly. The number of participating higher education institutions has already risen to 768 in 2020 and to 1,115 this year.
The universities take part in THE Impact Ranking to strengthen its ability to relate to analytical comparisons and assessments of universities. The rankings and the information provided from these rankings are used by students, teachers and researchers and play an important role in recruitment work. They also contribute with possibilities for increased internationalisation and collaboration with other universities and can make up a basis for benchmarking in the university’s quality-assurance work.
Further details:
On University of Nantes’s website: https://unnews.univ-nantes.fr/times-higher-education-2021-luniversite-de-nantes-progresse-dans-le-classement-dedie-a-limpact-social-et-economique?twitter
On Linnaeus University’s website: https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/current/news/2021/good-results-for-linnaeus-university-on-global-ranking-list/
On Semmelweis University’s website: https://semmelweis.hu/english/2021/04/2021-the-impact-ranking-semmelweis-university-among-the-top-10-in-the-world-in-terms-of-good-health-and-well-being/
