Times Higher Education (THE), in partnership with Vertigo Ventures (VV), is set to launch the world’s first university impact ranking. The initiative – the first global attempt to document evidence of higher education impact – is designed to capture unique new insights on universities’ work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Universities contribute a huge amount to society, and this data can offer a new perspective on how they’re addressing some of the most pressing global issues. This work has never been fully explored in the past, and has never been recognised in global rankings. The need and desire for clear, new metrics on impact is strong, and while this is a highly challenging area of data collection, it’s also an important and necessary step forward.

Version 1 is not going to be perfect nor will it capture all the impact that is occurring. It will also remain subject to ongoing consultative discussion as we expect it to develop over time. This is why your opinions and insights on our work are valuable. So we are listening and open to discussing suggestions, concerns and ideas.