On Wednesday, April 27, 2022, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) THE Impacts Rankings 2022 were announced. For the first time, KTU was included in these rankings by the international university rating agency Times Higher Education, which ranks the world universities’ actions directed towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For three years now, THE Impact Rankings has been assessing the world universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals focus on environmental, social and economic development by promoting international strategic partnerships. THE Impact Rankings evaluate the contribution of universities to the achievement of all sustainable development goals and the progress of international cooperation.
“We were very excited to be included in the Rankings, indeed as our University aims attention at the implementation of sustainable development goals in all its activities. From ensuring quality education, fostering sustainability in all areas of university life, developing innovation in the industry, and adhering to the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination to extensive social and environmental responsibility – everything has been in line with KTU’s Green University initiative for many years. At the same time, our place in the Rankings is a new obligation to ensure the continuity of activities and increase the quality of them, realising the importance of sustainable development for the KTU community and the city, country and global society,” said Lolita Jurkšienė, Director of KTU Performance Management Department.
The fourth edition and the overall THE Impact ranking includes 1,406 universities from 106 countries/regions. KTU, already in the first year, is ranked in 7 out of 17 ranking categories that meet the goals of sustainable development: 4 – Quality Education; 5 – Gender Equality; 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities; 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; 17 – Partnership for the Goals.
The highest rank KTU received in the evaluation of the 9th Goal: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. With 62.1 out of a hundred possible points, KTU is ranked 201-300.
The highest rank KTU received in the evaluation of the 9th Goal: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. With 62.1 out of a hundred possible points, KTU is ranked 201-300. The main purpose of this criterion, according to the organisers of the ranking, is to assess the success of universities in developing and implementing sustainable and high value-added innovations in collaboration with industry.
When calculating the results, the number of patents created in the name of KTU, scientific publications and spin-off companies created by KTU are evaluated. KTU was ranked among the top 600 universities in the world in terms of promoting economic growth, institutional strength and fostering partnerships (UN SDGs No. 8,16 and 17).
“We do not underestimate the importance of any of the goals of sustainable development, because they are all very related and measure extremely important aspects. However, as a higher education community, we are very proud to have received recognition in the field of quality education. In assessing the criterion of creating opportunities for lifelong learning, KTU received a particularly high rating and scored 87.6 points out of a possible 100. Another important criterion – the ratio of scientific publications against their practical use – exceeded 60 points out of a possible 100. This substantiates the practical added value of the results created by the KTU academic community,” says Jurkšienė.
The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They use carefully calibrated indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparisons across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.
The 2022 Impact Rankings is the fourth edition and the overall ranking includes 1,406 universities from 106 countries/regions.
