VU climbs to 10th in the world

Victoria University (VU) climbed strongly up the global ladder from equal 33rd to equal 10th in the category of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions in the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.
Thursday 22 April 2021

In the category of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions in the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings Victoria University (VU) climbed strongly up the global ladder to equal 10th, from equal 33rd last year, making VU’s ranking the best in Australia.

The result was achieved from among more than 650 universities worldwide in promoting peace and justice, and supporting strong institutions.

Universities in this category were judged on:

  • participation as advisers for governments and in stakeholder consultation bodies
  • providing outreach services, upskilling and general education
  • facilitating stakeholder discussions to meet the challenges of society
  • international relations research
  • academic freedom policies.

The rankings are the only global performance ratings that assess a university’s contribution to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using indicators across research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching. The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University Professor Adam Shoemaker said today’s results highlight the outstanding opportunities that the university offers to students from any background to achieve a world-class education through its flexible pathways and innovative curriculum.

“We recognise diversity as a signal strength. The VU Block Model provides unparalleled support so students not only learn, but thrive -- and become strong and meaningful contributors to their communities and to the world of work,” he said.

Victoria University’s success also demonstrates its whole-of-institution commitment to place-based Planetary Health; a critical element of the university’s developing strategy. 

“Never has it been more important to collaborate and use our institutional capability to find ways to improve people’s quality of life while also protecting the environment we live in,” Professor Shoemaker said.

Some of the outstanding projects included in VU’s Times Higher Education submission were:

Victoria University also ranked 77th from nearly 1000 globally-rated institutions for Quality Education, and 101-200 out of 1115 universities for its overall impact in contributing to the UN’s SDGs. This result is particularly impressive given that there are close to 350 additional globally-ranked institutions this year.

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