UJ ranked best university in sustainable development in Africa
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked as the best university in sustainable development in Africa and 23rd in the world.
This is according to the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ratings, which assess universities against the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Western Sydney University in Australia was ranked number one in the world for four consecutive years, followed by Manchester University. The University of Pretoria came in at number 63 in the world.
UJ is now ranked among the top 30 universities in the world out of 2,318 institutions evaluated.
It ranked in the global top 100 for ten SDGs, with three in the top 10. This includes ranking number two in the world for SDG 1 (no poverty); number four for SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth); and number four for SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
UJ vice-chancellor and principal Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi said this was a testament to the university's commitment to reimagining higher education as a driver of change.
'These results not only underscore UJ's steadfast commitment to sustainable development, equity and impactful partnerships but also highlight the university's growing influence in tackling global challenges through research, teaching and community engagement,' Mpedi said.
'Our ranking reflects the focused efforts driven by our strategic plan 2035, which is built on three key pillars: societal impact and sustainability, global footprint and partnerships, and technology for the future. These pillars guide our trajectory over the next decade and underpin our dedication to creating a more just, equitable and sustainable future for all.'
In a separate global ranking, the university was named the third best university in South Africa after the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
'Together, the two results signal UJ's rising reputation and consistent excellence across multiple global performance metrics.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Global Citizen Summit in Spain: SA actress to take the stage
Global Citizen has announced that its flagship summit, Global Citizen NOW, will take place on June 29, 2025, at CaixaForum Sevilla in Spain. This summit will also feature our very own Nomazamo Mbatha as the host The summit has been scheduled to take place ahead of the UN's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). A focus on reshaping global financial systems, promoting sustainable debt relief, and accelerating investment in renewable energy across Africa and Latin America. The event will be hosted by South African actress and humanitarian Nomzamo Mbatha and will see high-level speakers deliberate. These include Pedro Sánchez (President of Spain), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Mia Mottley (Prime Minister of Barbados), Gaston Browne (Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda), Mark Suzman (CEO of the Gates Foundation), and Maria Fernanda Espinosa (former UN General Assembly President), and many others This summit is being held in partnership with the Spanish Government. Intensive discussions and focused panels will place an emphasis on transformational development finance and renewable energy investment, particularly in underserved regions. Another focus of the summit will be the Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign. This is supported by von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in collaboration with the International Energy Agency. This campaign is aimed at tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, as well as creating 500 000 jobs in the energy field. This particular initiative also hopes to provide electricity access to 600 million Africans. The pledging conference is scheduled for November 2025 during the G20 Summit. Leaders like Sánchez and Mottley have called for urgent reform of the global financial architecture to meet today's challenges. Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans emphasized the need for 'radical efficiency' to end extreme poverty. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
UJ ranked best university in sustainable development in Africa
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been ranked as the best university in sustainable development in Africa and 23rd in the world. This is according to the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ratings, which assess universities against the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs). Western Sydney University in Australia was ranked number one in the world for four consecutive years, followed by Manchester University. The University of Pretoria came in at number 63 in the world. UJ is now ranked among the top 30 universities in the world out of 2,318 institutions evaluated. It ranked in the global top 100 for ten SDGs, with three in the top 10. This includes ranking number two in the world for SDG 1 (no poverty); number four for SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth); and number four for SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). UJ vice-chancellor and principal Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi said this was a testament to the university's commitment to reimagining higher education as a driver of change. 'These results not only underscore UJ's steadfast commitment to sustainable development, equity and impactful partnerships but also highlight the university's growing influence in tackling global challenges through research, teaching and community engagement,' Mpedi said. 'Our ranking reflects the focused efforts driven by our strategic plan 2035, which is built on three key pillars: societal impact and sustainability, global footprint and partnerships, and technology for the future. These pillars guide our trajectory over the next decade and underpin our dedication to creating a more just, equitable and sustainable future for all.' In a separate global ranking, the university was named the third best university in South Africa after the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). 'Together, the two results signal UJ's rising reputation and consistent excellence across multiple global performance metrics.'
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- TimesLIVE
Global Citizen summit targets finance reform, renewable energy scale-up
Global Citizen, the world's leading advocacy organisation dedicated to ending extreme poverty, has announced that its flagship action summit, Global Citizen NOW, will take place at CaixaForum Sevilla in Spain on June 29. The event will convene ahead of the UN's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Hosted in partnership with the Spanish government, the summit will gather leaders across sectors to drive ambitious action on poverty and the climate crisis. The summit will serve as a strategic catalyst and global platform to shape the action coming out of FfD4 and advance an ambitious agenda for financing reform and international co-operation. It will feature dynamic high-level panels and highlight the urgent need for investments in renewable energy across Africa and transformative investments in development finance. Pedro Sánchez, President of Spain, said the UN's FfD4 is a critical opportunity that could not be more timely. 'World leaders need to work together within the multilateral framework to reshape the global financial architecture so it works for everyone, especially the world's most vulnerable. 'Spain is proud to co-host Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla to drive bold, co-ordinated action to tackle the world's biggest challenges and mobilise ambitious initiatives for sustainable development,' said Sánchez. The summit will serve as a key moment in Global Citizen's year-long scaling up renewables in Africa campaign, in partnership with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Cyril Ramaphosa, with policy support from the International Energy Agency. The campaign aims to secure commitments from governments, the private sector and multilateral banks towards tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, support the creation of 500,000 new energy jobs, and address the unmet energy needs of 600-million people who don't have electricity on the continent. It will culminate in a pledging conference in November alongside the G20 summit. 'Our global financial system was not designed to meet today's challenges. It must evolve to reflect the realities of a world in crisis,' said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados. Mottley said from unsustainable debt burdens to the escalating climate emergency, too many nations are being asked to do more with less. 'The Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla summit is a vital platform to champion equitable financing, accelerate renewable energy transitions across Africa and SIDS, and advance the systemic reforms our world urgently needs. Now is the time for co-operation and decisive action for people and planet,' she said. Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Hugh Evans said Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will showcase international co-operation at a time when the world so urgently needs it. 'The future of financing global development demands radical efficiency, as we need to do more with less to deliver the impact that is needed to end extreme poverty around the world,' Evans said. The summit will be hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha, actress, humanitarian and Global Citizen ambassador. Previous editions of Global Citizen NOW have been held in New York, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro. Later this year, the summit series is expected to expand its global footprint and also head to Detroit, Michigan, Belém, Brazil and Johannesburg.
