The rankings, now in their second year, highlight how universities are taking action to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues, drawing on the framework provided by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). QS based their ranking on performance in three areas: Environmental Impact, Social Impact and Governance. The rankings placed the University of Waikato 36th globally for Environmental Impact and, within this category, 27th for Environmental Education.
University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Quigley, says the ranking is an affirmation of the University’s commitment to sustainability and furthering the SDGs.
“These are impressive results for one of New Zealand’s youngest and smallest universities and reflective of our work towards delivering on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
“Placing 27th in the world for environmental education is a particularly significant achievement. As a University, we have brought a strong focus to environmental issues over the past two years. This has included launching our Sustainability Plan 2022-26, introducing the world’s first Bachelor of Climate Change and securing significant government investment in specialist climate change research.”
The University is also currently ranked in the top 100 institutions in the world in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking and 250th in the world in the 2024 QS World University Ranking.
