The University of Coimbra is the most sustainable institution in Portugal and the 57th in the world
The Sustainable Development Goals in which the UC performed best were Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Partnerships for the Goals Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024.
The University of Coimbra (UC) has been ranked Portugal's most sustainable higher education institution for the fifth consecutive year.
According to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024, published today (Wednesday 12), the UC is ranked 57th in the world and is also the most sustainable higher education (HE) institution in Southern Europe (which includes Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece) and in Portuguese-speaking countries.
With an overall score of 91.5 out of 100, the UC is in the top 3% worldwide and is the institution with the best overall performance in Portugal and Southern Europe in terms of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the most participated edition since the ranking has existed (1963 institutions evaluated).
In 2024, the University of Coimbra stands out once again for its commitment to achieving SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, ranking 27th worldwide. The UC has several initiatives in place, such as UC Share, which promotes the solidarity donation of meals for student beneficiaries by any member of the community and aims to raise awareness of food shortages; the social menu (at affordable prices) in the canteens; the promotion of campaigns against food waste and waste monitoring mechanisms; and the inclusion of sustainability criteria in tenders for the procurement of food products for the canteens.
With regard to SDG 3 - Good health and well-being (81st in the world), the UC's various community health services, its commitment to promoting mental health and regular sport and physical activity have also contributed to this result. The Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal), an innovative national project in ageing research, has also impacted the achievement of this SDG. It develops new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to reduce the incidence and development of age-related chronic diseases and new methods to promote the quality of life of the elderly".
As for SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (49th in the world), the UC stands out for the work of UC Business, which aims to make the University of Coimbra a key partner for the business community, with 399 active patents and several research and innovation projects contributing to this SDG (with a score of 99.8 out of 100 in THE Impact Rankings). It is also worth noting that the Instituto Pedro Nunes Incubator is in the top ten of the best incubators in the world in the category of university business incubators, published in 2023.
The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings measure the success of higher education institutions worldwide in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. In total, there are 18 rankings in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings: one ranking for each SDG and one global ranking.
These rankings analyse how research, teaching, and management of HE institutions contribute to achieving the SDGs as defined by the United Nations and are the only tool in the world to assess these commitments.