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York U tops new university global impact ranking

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York U tops new university global impact ranking

Today, Times Higher Education (THE) revealed the list of global leaders in the results of their new Impact rankings. Based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed in 2016, the THE Impact ranking highlights how the higher education sector is contributing to international efforts to build a more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable world. York University has impressively placed 26th in the world, and 5th in Canada.

The THE University Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ SDGs. THE evaluated more than 450 universities from 77 countries in the inaugural Impact ranking.

“Universities have never been more important as catalysts for positive change. We live in a world filled with incredible innovation, but also one facing serious and complex challenges. We need globally educated citizens able to work across traditional boundaries to build their own success and the success of their communities. We are very pleased to be recognized by the THE Impact ranking as a world leader in building the multi-sector partnerships and pioneering the new educational approaches that will help meet some of society’s most urgent demands - like confronting climate change and building more inclusive and equitable communities,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.

These rankings reflect York’s significant contributions in producing the leaders of tomorrow, advancing fundamental and applied research, and the knowledge transfer for lasting impact on creating inclusive, sustainable and prosperous communities.

York’s 2019 THE Impact rankings:

  • Global ranking: York ranked #26 in the world.
  • THE Impact ranking by the United Nations’ SDG goal:

o   York ranked #25 in the world for UN SDG goal 10, “Reduced Inequality”

o   York ranked #12 in the world for UN SDG goal 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”

o   York ranked #22 in the world for UN SDG goal 12, “Consumption and Production”

o   York ranked #14 in the world for UN SDG goal 13, “Climate Action”

o   York ranked #19 in the world for UN SDG goal 17, “Partnerships for the goals”

York’s global reach includes more than 300 university, industry and NGO partners in over 70 countries. These partnerships provide our students, faculty, staff and alumni with opportunities to contribute solutions to global challenges.

This year marks York’s 60th anniversary, and 60 years of making an impact. York is proud to be a diverse and inclusive community of engaged and innovative students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners dedicated to making a positive impact.

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media contact:

Barbara Joy, Director, Media Relations

416-333-3374, barbjoy@yorku.ca