Asian universities show strong gains in global impact ranking - 22 in this region are among the Top 50 in the world
Asian institutions now lead ten out of 17 individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings, doubling from the previous year, while a South Korean and an Indonesian university entered the overall top 10.
The THE Impact Rankings evaluate universities based on the United Nations' SDGs. These 17 goals include 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 goals.
A university's final score is calculated by combining its score in SDG 17 with its top three scores from the remaining 16 SDGs. This means universities are scored based on different SDGs, depending on their focus. Points for each SDG are determined by factors including research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
South Korea's Kyungpook National University (KNU) ranked third overall, climbing significantly from joint 39th last year, thanks to notable efforts in supporting low-income students, contributing to its strong performance in "no poverty."
Indonesia's Universitas Airlangga also advanced significantly, placing joint ninth after focusing on "sustainable cities and communities" through initiatives such as public green spaces and free e-bikes.
Overall, Asian universities occupied 22 of the top 50 spots, an increase from 12 last year, surpassing 11 from Australasia, nine from Europe, eight from North America, and one from Africa.
Other high-ranking Asian institutions included South Korea's Pusan National University (13th), National Taiwan University (NTU) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (joint 14th), and South Korea's Kyung Hee University alongside Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (joint 19th).
These schools were recognized for their significant progress in sustainability initiatives, according to THE.
The improved performance in East and Southeast Asia corresponds with increased participation. Asia has consistently been the most represented continent in the Impact Rankings since their inception in 2019, but this year, for the first time, Asian universities comprise the majority (52%) of all ranked institutions, up from 49% last year and 42% in 2020.
In individual SDG rankings, Asian universities lead in 10 categories, including no poverty (Universiti Sains Malaysia), quality education (Lingnan University Hong Kong), gender equality (Walailak University, Thailand), clean water and sanitation (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia), decent work and economic growth (Korea University, South Korea), industry innovation and infrastructure (Hanyang University and Yonsei University, South Korea), and partnerships for the goals (Universiti Sains Malaysia and University of Malaya, Malaysia).
Futao Huang, a professor at Hiroshima University's Research Institute for Higher Education, said these strengths align closely with expectations for the region.
"These reflect long-standing national and institutional priorities focused on poverty alleviation, education access and economic development – areas where many Asian universities have actively aligned their missions and strategies," Huang told THE.
He added that the notable improvement in "partnerships for the goals," jointly led by two Malaysian universities and featuring three other Asian institutions in the top 10, highlights the region's "growing commitment to global collaboration and cross-sector engagement, supported by policy encouragement and improved data reporting capacity."
Institutions from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia led fewer SDG tables this year, dropping from 11 last year to seven. Experts suggest this may reflect either the mainstreaming of SDG efforts or reduced political support for sustainability initiatives in these regions.
Western Sydney University in Australia remained first overall for the fourth consecutive year, followed by the University of Manchester (U.K.), while Griffith University and the University of Tasmania (both in Australia) tied for fourth place.
The 2025 THE Impact Rankings saw participation from 2,526 universities across 130 countries. - Vietnam News/ANN
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