Top universities fostering global partnerships in 2024

University Impact Rankings for UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Times Higher Education has assessed and ranked 2,031 universities from 121 countries/regions for their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 17: partnerships for the goals. The top institutions excel in forging strong international partnerships that support sustainable development across various sectors. Through collaborative research, shared knowledge and mobilisation of resources, they facilitate effective global networks that enhance technological capabilities, financial support and policy alignment for the Sustainable Development Goals.

These leading universities are instrumental in driving international cooperation, which is crucial for tackling global challenges such as climate change, inequality and poverty. Their efforts in enhancing global partnerships are vital for ensuring the successful implementation of sustainable development strategies worldwide.

Summary of findings

The ranking for SDG 17: partnerships for the goals is led by the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. A newcomer to the table, Institut Agro in France, shares the second spot with James Cook University in Australia.

There are 27 UK universities in the top 100, 13 from Canada and 12 from Australia. India is best represented in the ranking overall, with 99 institutions, followed by 96 from Turkey and 91 from Pakistan.

Methodology

Our methodology for SDG 17: partnerships for the goals includes detailed indicators that measure universities’ effectiveness in promoting global partnerships:

Research (27%)

• Number of research publications that relate to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Proportion of research publications with co-author from lower- or lower-middle-income country

Relationships to support the goals (18.5%)

• Collaborations and relationships with NGOs and governments relating to the SDGs, including policy, capturing data and research and educational programmes
• International collaborations to develop best practice on tackling SDGs

Publication of SDG reports (27.2%)

• Publication of progress against each of the UN SDGs, either individually or within an annual report

Education on the SDGs (27.2%)

• Programmes teaching the next generation about adopting sustainability in their lives, through university curricula for students and outreach activities for the wider community

The Impact Rankings are inherently dynamic: they are growing rapidly each year as many more universities seek to demonstrate their commitment to delivering the SDGs by joining our database; and they allow institutions to demonstrate rapid improvement year-on-year, by introducing clear new policies, for example, or by providing clearer and more open evidence of their progress. Therefore, we expect and welcome regular change in the ranked order of institutions (and we discourage year-on-year comparisons) as universities continue to drive this urgent agenda.

View the overall Impact Rankings 2024

Read our analysis of the Impact Rankings 2024 results

Download a free copy of the Impact Rankings 2024 digital report

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