International university rankings now include sustainability as a topic. In its THE Impact Ranking, the renowned British magazine "Times Higher Education" has been assessing the activities of universities annually since 2019, based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The ranking evaluates to what extent universities contribute to these goals, for example through research projects, collaborations with the industry, degree programmes or sustainable campus measures.
In the latest ranking, Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) achieved top results in the category "SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation". LUH is ranked 34th in the world, a significant improvement compared to the previous year when LUH was successfully represented in the THE Impact Ranking for the first time (2022: 76th). A total of 702 universities were assessed in this category. LUH also achieved excellent results in the second area in which the university competed: "SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy". Here, LUH ranked 101-200 out of a total of 812 universities evaluated (previous year: 301-400; from 101st place onwards, universities are placed in ranking groups). Prof. Dr. Volker Epping (President of the university) and Prof. Dr. Christina von Haaren (Vice President for International Affairs and Sustainability) are very pleased with LUH's sustainability success in an international comparison of universities.
Research into issues such as water scarcity or the risk of flooding is an important indicator in the assessment of the Sustainable Development Goal “Clean Water and Sanitation”. THE takes into account the number of scientific publications related to SGD 6 and how often they are cited by other researchers. At LUH, the Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management, the Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources Management as well as the Institute of Environmental Planning are involved in research that makes a significant contribution to the sustainable use of water. Moreover, the Ludwig Franzius Institute of Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering as well as the Coastal Research Centre are constantly providing new insights into issues such as coastal protection or tsunami research. LUH offers numerous degree programmes related to sustainability. For example, the master’s degree programme Water Resources and Environmental Management (WATENV) is dedicated to current issues in sustainable water resources management.
The ranking also takes into account the university's sustainable water management activities. LUH has recently implemented a number of measures and activities to reduce its overall water consumption: For example, on the sports campus, a special rainwater manager feeds rainwater into the supply network to flush toilets. A "Trees for Future" climate forest on the Herrenhausen campus, created with the help of students, consists of stress-resistant trees that are better able to cope with the challenges of climate change, such as extreme droughts. An overview of LUH's water use projects can be found on the Green Office website at www.sustainability.uni-hannover.de/en/campus/water. Further information on the “Trees for Future” project can be found here: www.sustainability.uni-hannover.de/en/campus/biodiversity-and-green-spaces
Furthermore, LUH's research capacity was assessed in the category "Affordable and Clean Energy". Researchers in most faculties are working across disciplines to address the challenges of the transition to an environmentally sound energy supply. The following website provides an overview of energy management measures on campus: www.sustainability.uni-hannover.de/en/campus/energy-management
This year's THE Impact Ranking included more than 1,700 universities from 115 countries. It is possible to participate in the overall ranking or – like LUH – only in one or several selected SDGs. The results of the THE Impact Ranking are available at www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings.
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For further information, please contact Mechtild Freiin v. Münchhausen, head of Communications and Marketing and spokesperson of Leibniz University Hannover (Tel. +49 511 762-5342, Email kommunikation@uni-hannover.de).
