Times Higher Education (THE) released its 2023 Impact Rankings last June 1 placing Hiroshima University (HU) 3rd among Japanese universities for the second consecutive year.

The British higher education journal's Impact Rankings assesses universities against the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

HU ranked 3rd in Japan with Keio University, Kobe University, Osaka University, Tohoku University, and the University of Tsukuba. For the overall ranking, HU secured 101-200th place among 1,591 universities worldwide. The overall ranking is calculated by combining the score in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) with the top three scores out of the remaining 16 SDGs.

HU was also listed in the top 100 globally in six of the 17 UN SDGs:

• 89th for SDG 1 (No Poverty)
• 61st for SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)
• 76th for SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• 66th for SDG 14 (Life Below Water)
• 71st for SDG 15 (Life on Land)
• 80th for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

In the latest rankings, HU submitted data on every SDG and earned a place in the top 100 for three new categories: SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

HU was also praised for its steady implementation of energy management, research promotion, and human resource development initiatives in line with the "Toward 2030 Hiroshima University Carbon Neutrality — Road to 2030: Action Plan (2022-2027)" formulated in August 2022.

International efforts to achieve the SDG

THE also placed HU among the eight finalists — for the second year in a row — for the International Strategy of the Year category of THE Awards Asia. Now in its fifth year, THE Awards Asia, which began in 2019, aims to recognize outstanding reform efforts by Asian universities.

By continuing and developing its efforts to achieve the SDGs, HU aims to make its contribution visible to the world in achieving the SDGs by 2030 and beyond to realize a peaceful and sustainable world.