Queen鈥檚 ranks first in Canada and fifth in the world in global impact rankings

Queen鈥檚 ranks first in Canada and fifth in the world in global impact rankings

Times Higher Education 2021 Impact Rankings illustrate Queen鈥檚 role in advancing the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals.

By Communications Staff

April 21, 2021

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Queen's ranks first in Canada and fifth in the world in global impact rankings

Today, the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings revealed that Queen鈥檚 University has placed first in Canada and fifth in the world in its global ranking of universities that are advancing the  within and beyond their local communities. The rankings measured more than 1,200 post-secondary institutions and focused on the impact made in 17 categories measuring sustainability.

Established in 2019, THE Impact Rankings assess a university鈥檚 societal impact based on the UN鈥檚 SDGs, a set of goals outlining a universal call to action to protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. Using carefully calibrated indicators across four broad areas 鈥 research, outreach, teaching, and stewardship 鈥 THE Impact Rankings are a recognition of those who are working today to build a better tomorrow.

鈥淎t Queen鈥檚 we believe our community 鈥 our people 鈥 will help solve the world鈥檚 most significant and urgent challenges through our intellectual curiosity, passion to achieve, and commitment to collaboration,鈥 says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淲e are humbled to be recognized in this way for the impact we鈥檙e having in our local and global communities, but we recognize how much still needs to be done. We are, however, pleased to know we are on the right track, and have our eyes set even more firmly on the future.鈥

成人大片鈥檚 community of students, researchers, staff, and alumni all contribute to making a positive impact as measured by the UN鈥檚 17 SDG criteria. THE Impact Rankings acknowledged Queen鈥檚 as:

  • 1st worldwide for SDG 1 鈥楴o Poverty,鈥 and SDG 16 鈥楶eace, Justice and Strong Institutions鈥. This was exemplified by Promise Scholars, a program designed to reduce financial barriers and increase access to Queen鈥檚 for local, first-generation students. The university also helps the next generation of policy makers through programs and research led by the School of Policy Studies, in addition to significant collaboration with all levels of government.
     
  • A leader in advancing programs that promote equal access, equity, and diversity, because of initiatives like: the Queen鈥檚 Equity Locator App, a map of accessible and gender neutral spaces, and specialized pathway programs for Indigenous and .
     
  • Queen鈥檚 supports air, land and water ecosystems through initiatives such as Queen鈥檚 Climate Action Plan, which is committed to climate neutrality by 2040;  the , one of Canada鈥檚 premier scientific field stations; and the , which fosters interdisciplinary research and outreach in water governance, sustainability, and protection.

Queen鈥檚 scored highly across a number of SDGs, including in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), where Queen鈥檚 placed in the top 10 worldwide. For both SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), Queen's ranks first in the world.

These impressive results reflect the of over 70 units across faculties, portfolios, and departments that contributed to or were represented in the evidence.

鈥淐anada鈥檚 universities are actively demonstrating the fundamental role they will play in helping solve some of the world鈥檚 成人大片 challenges as outlined in the United Nations鈥 Sustainable Development Goals,鈥 says Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer, Times Higher Education. 鈥淚n a year that has seen record levels of participation in the Impact Rankings, with 1,240 universities from 98 countries and regions, it is wonderful to see the success of Queen鈥檚 University in helping to ensure a sustainable future for global society.鈥

Other highlights from the more than 600 pieces of evidence submitted illustrate Queen鈥檚 contributions to an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable future, including:

  • The PhD-Community Initiative pairs students from interdisciplinary backgrounds with local organizations to address community issues or challenges.
     
  • State-of-the-art cultural facilities 鈥 including the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts and the 鈥 showcase world-class performing arts and collections.
     
  • at Queen鈥檚 supports a collaborative network of more than 2,100 investigators to find treatments that give people with cancer longer, better quality lives.
     
  • The Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (DDQIC) and Compass North program enable students and local women entrepreneurs to build sustainable start-ups through courses, workshops, internships, seminars, conferences, and competitions.
     
  • The Smith School of Business鈥 Certificate in Social Impact helps students learn how to integrate social impact into core business strategies and business models.

鈥淏uilding on this track record of sustainability, while accelerating development and partnerships at home and abroad, Queen鈥檚 will stay focused on developing the leaders of tomorrow to advance global initiatives and make a lasting imprint on our communities,鈥 says Principal Deane, who wrote on how the SDGs can help inform and shape the future of the global academy.