Far ahead of the international competition in sustainability: The University of Bayreuth in the new THE Impact Ranking

The Impact Ranking, published annually by THE, is a global comparison of universities that makes specific reference to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These globally binding goals, set forth in the "Agenda 2030," are intended to promote sustainable development worldwide in economic, social and environmental terms. The Impact Ranking compares universities based on how much they contribute to achieving these goals through research projects, study programmes, internal management, collaborations with external partners and knowledge transfer to society.

"The Impact Ranking 2023 is a great success for the University of Bayreuth. The sustainability strategy that we have developed on our campus, the GreenCampus sustainability office, and the Presidential Advisory Committee for Sustainability link all university departments both with one another and with regional and international partners. The resulting measures and initiatives have clearly resulted very good ratings for the University of Bayreuth in the new THE ranking despite strong international competition. The ranking results give us encouragement on our way to more sustainability at the University of Bayreuth," says Prof. Dr. Susanne Tittlbach, Vice President for Digitalization, Innovation & Sustainability at the University of Bayreuth.

The University of Bayreuth seeks to actively promote the innovative strength of its students, lecturers and researchers. It is ranked 72nd in the new Impact Ranking for the sustainability goal "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure" (SDG 9), once again placing it among the top 10 percent of universities worldwide. Its Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is driving the transfer of research to society and strengthening a start-up culture on campus, which has already given rise to highly successful start-ups. The University of Bayreuth's forum1.5 invites stakeholders from science, business and society to work together on ideas, strategies and processes that can serve the common good and create sustainable prosperity.

With respect to the sustainability goal "Sustainable Cities and Communities" (SDG 11) the university was particularly successful: the University of Bayreuth is now 1st place among German universities. In a global comparison, it ranks 100th. Its scientific expertise is helping to make cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, especially in the northern Bavarian region. The exchange of ideas with local representatives of businesses, culture, the community and politics is central to its sustainability strategy. The University of Bayreuth invites visitors to cultural events and exhibitions throughout the year, such as the much-visited exhibition "The Thin Skin of the Earth - Our Soils" in its Botanical Garden. The "City Talks," the "Children's University" and the summer festival "Unikat" have become firmly established public events.

For the sustainability goal "Quality Education" (SDG 4), the University of Bayreuth is listed in the ranking group 101-200 and has achieved 2nd place in a national comparison together with the University of Konstanz and the FU Berlin. High-quality study programmes are tailored to economic, social, ecological and technological challenges of the future. The supplementary programme "Sustainability" is an option open to students of all faculties. It provides students with key qualifications for dealing with global challenges such as climate change and educational injustice in a future-oriented and innovative way. At the same time, the University of Bayreuth is also addressing active professionals with a wide range of educational offerings: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are interactive online courses in various scientific fields that are accessible free of charge on the web. Bayreuth’s CampusAkademie, in cooperation with renowned partners from industry and small and medium-sized businesses, has developed an extensive range of offerings in the area of professional development.

The University of Bayreuth is also listed in second place in a nationwide comparison for the sustainability goal "Good Health and Well-Being" (SDG 3), together with the University of Hamburg and the University of Münster. Internationally, it ranks 301-400 in this area. Preventive measures, educational programmes and support services for health-related and mental health problems have been developed as part of the university health management programme. The Bayreuth Centre of Sport Science (BaySpo) offers a rich programme, the "Students BeWegt 2.0" project brings exercise into everyday study life, and the "Create YOUR Campus" ideas competition awards new impulses for health promotion. In the "Capital4Health" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the University of Bayreuth is working with external partners to promote active lifestyles in daycare facilities, schools, companies and communities.

The University of Bayreuth also moved up more than 100 places in the sustainability goal "Gender Equality" (SDG 5). Here it is now listed in the 201-300 ranking group. This is, in particular, a success for the Gender Equality Service Centre. With its comprehensive quality management, it works for gender equality in all university areas and fosters the individual career planning of female students, scientists and employees. The empowerMINTDoc continuing education programme specifically targets female students in the STEM subjects. The University of Bayreuth has also firmly anchored the topic of equal opportunities in its personnel development strategy. It received the seal of approval from the German University Association for its fair and transparent appointment negotiations.

Further information:
The sustainability strategy of the University of Bayreuth:
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/sustainabilty-strategy

Study sustainability at the University of Bayreuth:
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/greenstudies

The University of Bayreuth - a sustainable campus:
https://www.greencampus.uni-bayreuth.de/en/