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University Impact Rankings: Unipd maintains a leading position for its promotion of a healthy life and social welfare

01.06.2023

Times Higher Education (THE) published the results of the fifth edition of its University Impact Rankings today, Thursday 1 June 2023.

Times Higher Education offers a comprehensive and balanced comparison of a university’s commitment to social well-being and sustainability, as well as the primary mission of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. The Impact Rankings are global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With 1705 universities from 115 different countries (of which 498 European) participating in the ranking by individual SDGs and overall performance this year, the Impact Ranking has clearly established itself internationally.  While partly coinciding with those surveyed by the better known THE World University Ranking (WUR), Impact Rankings do not include a minimum research requirement for participation.

Based on individual SDGs, the University of Padua obtains its best result in SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being.  Ranking 33rd place in the world (improving from 47th position in 2022) SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being measures universities’ research on key diseases and conditions, their support for healthcare professions, and the health of students and staff.  Although slightly down from last year, the second best results are in SDG 4 - Quality of Education. Here, Padua ranks in 35th place based on its contribution to early years and lifelong learning, pedagogy research and its commitment to inclusive education. Padua’s third best position is in SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, where Padua ranks 54th in the world. This index evaluates environmental sustainability practices and the commitment to enhance the historical, artistic and cultural heritage.

Padua confirms itself among the top 100 universities in the world for its commitment to SDG 5 - Gender Equality, where the University of Padua ranks 83rd worldwide. This index assesses institutional research on the study of gender equality, policies on gender equality, and commitment to recruiting and promoting women. Finally, the University of Padua is among the top 200 universities in the world according to SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

The overall index also evaluates improvements demonstrated with SDG 17 – Partnership for Goals that looks at the broader ways in which universities support the SDGs through collaboration with other countries. By promoting best practices and the publication of data, SDG 17 is an indispensable prerequisite for participation in the ranking that also takes into consideration the best three results obtained with reference to the other SDGs. This year, the University of Padua placed within the 101-200 range, in a context of strong international competition and change of methodology.

The University of Padua has always been committed to promoting sustainable growth as a fundamental aspect that not only ensures the quality of life of the local community but also as a legacy for future generations.