The University of Gdańsk was ranked fifth among Polish universities in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024, which examines achieving sustainability goals. In the Governance Rank category, we reached a high 3rd place among Polish universities. Almost 1,400 universities worldwide were assessed in detail in the ranking.
‘This year's edition of one of the world's leading ranking agencies, QS World University Rankings, clearly shows that the objectives of sustainable development, which are a crucial element of the University of Gdańsk's strategy, are the right direction for our actions,' emphasises the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘These results and the very fact of what is taken into account in the methodology of the ranking indicate that the university is now looked upon not only as a place where knowledge is passed in an exclusively academic dimension but also as a place where attention is paid to the inclusiveness of the academic environment, respecting the rights of others, and the importance of the environment and social interaction.’
We performed very well in the general classification considering Polish universities. University of Gdańsk was ranked 5th among 20 Polish HEIs. This time, the national leader was the University of Warsaw, ranked 222nd in the world. The next 'strong four' of Polish universities, after a very even competition, are as follows: Jagiellonian University (402nd), Gdansk University of Technology (420th), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (434th) and University of Gdańsk (488th). The remaining Polish universities were ranked at more distant positions - only the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław remained above the 7th hundredth position in the ranking, at position 699th. Other Polish universities are ranked in the ranges 701-800 (3 universities) and 801-900 (1 university), and a further ten universities were ranked below the 1000th position.
The ranking methodology is based on three pillars: Social Impact, with a weighting of 45% of the final score; Environmental Impact, with the same weighting, and Governance Rank, with a weighting of 10%. In these categories, the University of Gdańsk collected the following high scores: Social Impact - 4th in Poland, 577th in the world (the highest rated aspects are equality measures - ranked 246th in the world - and health and well-being – 295th), Environmental Impact - 4th score in Poland, 565th in the world (the highest rated issue here is education related to the environment - ranked 406th in the world). Particular satisfaction comes from the high marks for the criterion Governance Rank - our university scores very high in Poland (3rd) and worldwide (286th).
The above-mentioned three main assessment criteria are composed of individual indicators; thus, within the criterion Social Impact, equality activities at universities are assessed (8 indicators make up the final score here), knowledge exchange (4 indicators), impact of the education provided (5 indicators), employability and perspectives of graduates (6 indicators) and health and well-being (3 indicators). The Environmental Impact criterion was assessed based on the degree of sustainability (10 indicators) and environmentally related education and research (3 and 4 indicators, respectively). The assessment of the Governance Rank was developed based on ten indicators without distinguishing additional criteria.
The purpose of this ranking, as well as other rankings measuring universities' commitment to sustainability issues, is to provide students with a unique insight into which institutions are demonstrating a commitment to building a safer, friendlier world. QS World University Rankings: Sustainability does not limit itself to measuring the commitment but looks for external evidence of it - from the impact graduates have on science and technology to address climate issues to the impact of research conducted under the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The ranking assesses the social and environmental impact of universities as education and research centres, as well as major employers, tackling sustainability challenges in a complex organisation.
The universities that wished to be assessed in this ranking had to produce a detailed and extensive report allowing for a very fine-grained evaluation of a total of 53 individual indicators.
Almost 1,400 universities from all over the world were evaluated in the ranking. Such a high level of interest in environmental and sustainability issues is the response of universities seeking to support young people in their fight for a better world.
Link to the ranking methodology:
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/sustainability-rankings/methodology
Link to full ranking results:
