The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been placed 75th overall in the world, out of more than 850 participating universities across 89 countries, for global societal, economic and environmental impact in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings.

The results were released on Wednesday, 22 April 2020.

THE Impact Rankings recognise the social, economic and environmental impact that universities are making in their own countries as well as on a global scale. It is based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations (UN), which are designed to address the most serious and critical global challenges of our time.

More than 850 universities from 89 countries participated in the THE Impact Rankings, which aim to capture and measure universities’ contribution to society and the global knowledge economy, through their success in delivering on the UN SDGs, assessed against all 17 UN SDGs for the first time this year. Last year’s inaugural ranking, which included only 11 of the 17 UN SDGs, received submissions from 556 universities from 76 countries. This represents significant growth in the scale and breadth of this ranking exercise, since its first publication in 2019.

In addition to being ranked 75th in the world in the overall impact ranking table in the 2020 THE University Impact Rankings, UJ was also recognised for and excelled in several specific SDGs. It was ranked in the top 100 for the following SDGs: SDG 1: No Poverty (#8); SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities (#30); SDG 4: Quality Education (#44); SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth (#48); SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals (#50); SDG 5: Gender Equality (#75)

Professor Angina Parekh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic says “UJ’s inclusion in these impact rankings is a tremendous achievement, demonstrating the University’s commitment to supporting the UN SDGs through its research, teaching and learning, community outreach and engagement, stewardship, and knowledge transfer.

In addition to UJ’s world-class teaching and research, these outstanding results are testament to the responsiveness of our academic and support staff to national and global imperatives, and to ensure that UJ is making a difference in society and contributing towards the realisation of a better and more sustainable and equitable future for all, through the UN SDGs”.