Global University Network for Sustainability Surpasses 1,600 Members

More than 1,600 universities worldwide are now part of Times Higher Education’s (THE) Sustainability Impact Network, signaling a significant surge in commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This network underpins the newly relaunched Sustainability Impact Ratings, with the first edition of results set to be published this summer.

Regional and National Participation

The participating institutions represent 116 countries, with Asia leading in representation, accounting for 962 universities. Europe follows with 332 and Africa with 202. The Philippines, India, Turkey, Thailand, and Indonesia are the most represented countries, boasting 162, 114, 76, 69, and 67 participating universities, respectively.

European participation is spearheaded by the UK (59 institutions) and Ukraine (56). Algeria leads African participation with 54 member universities. Notably, over a third of participating universities – 592 – are located in low- or lower-middle income countries.

Growth and Expansion of the Network

Nineteen countries have increased their participation compared to the 2025 Impact Rankings. The Philippines, which had 121 ranked institutions last year, continues to demonstrate strong engagement. Vietnam has increased its participation to 19 universities (up from 16), and Yemen has doubled its representation from three to six. Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, and Tajikistan are participating for the first time.

Sustainability Impact Ratings and Methodology

The Sustainability Impact Ratings assess universities’ progress toward the UN SDGs across four key areas: teaching, research, stewardship of resources, and outreach. The methodology remains consistent with previous Impact Rankings, encompassing 18 tables – an overall league table and individual rankings for each of the 17 SDGs.

Universities were required to subscribe to the Sustainability Impact Network to submit data for the 2026 ratings, ensuring only network members will receive a published score and position when the results are released in June.

Benefits of Network Membership

Members of the Sustainability Impact Network receive access to data insights, marketing materials, special webinars, a monthly newsletter sharing best practices, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. They also benefit from support from THE’s data experts, who validate and evaluate submitted evidence.

Launch Event and Future Outlook

The Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 will be officially launched at the THE Global Sustainable Development Congress in Jakarta, Indonesia, in June 2026.

Phil Baty, THE’s chief global affairs officer, emphasized the initiative’s success: “With so many members of the new network, and with so many participants in the ratings, not only have we succeeded in providing a stable and sustainable future for the world’s most trusted and most comprehensive framework for evaluating and celebrating universities’ deep social and economic impact, we have also created the world’s largest university membership network of any kind, and it is entirely dedicated to helping to deliver a sustainable future for us all.”

Baty added that the network will focus on sharing performance data, celebrating university impact, and facilitating best practice sharing to drive improvements, as well as providing universities with a stronger voice in shaping the UN’s sustainable development agenda.