2022 THE Impact Rankings: NCKU Ranked 1st in Taiwan and 33rd Worldwide
Written by Hsu Tsu-Yueh. Image credit to News Center.
“As a top university, NCKU has always been keen on realizing values, taking on responsibilities, being prospective, and ensuring positive changes. NCKU persists on making positive and prosperous influences towards the world. This is the method and strength of our talents’ existence in the world.” National Cheng Kung University has seized the first place among Taiwan universities and ranked 33 in the whole world in the 2022 Impact Rankings by Times Higher Education.
“Vision, through collaboration and efforts from a group of people, grows into ideals that can be fully realized.” Huey-Jen Jenny Su, President of NCKU, said. “NCKU is fortunate to be able to call for attention to future issues, to solve future challenges, and to form long-lasting and mutually prosperous collaborative relationships with its partners. We become a great platform that prompts sustainable development of the world.”
NCKU demonstrates it is a competitive and comprehensive higher education institution capable of bring practical influences to the world
Times Higher Education (THE) of the United Kingdom unveiled the 2022 Impact Rankings on April 28 of Taiwan Standard Time. The rankings are determined based on the universities’ influences in terms of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. NCKU has stood out among the 1406 universities around the world, breaking its own best record in the rankings.
NCKU is ranked among the top 100 global universities in over two-thirds of the 17 SDG-aspects, and is ranked in top 10 in two of them: ranked 5th worldwide regarding SDG9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and 8th worldwide regarding SDG7 Affordable and Clean Energy. NCKU ranks first among Taiwan universities regarding a total of four goals: in addition to the two aforementioned goals, the university is also ranked 33rd worldwide regarding SDG6 Clean Water and Sanitation and 55th worldwide regarding SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals. NCKU’s performance demonstrates its competitiveness and proves that it is a comprehensive higher education institution capable of bring practical influences to the world.
NCKU has seized the first place among Taiwan universities and ranked 33 in the whole world in the 2022 THE Impact Rankings
NCKU has continuously secured top rankings since the establishment of the THE rankings in 2019. After being ranked 80 in 2019, NCKU has been ranked consecutively as first place among Taiwan universities since 2020. Huey-Jen Su pointed out that issues regarding sustainable development are supposed to be broad and with high variety, and that NCKU sets standards for itself by examining “whether our contributions truly respond to the challenges for human development.” All aspects, from course design, talent cultivation, to technological solutions, or even social participation, require practical plans that can be inspected.
SDG9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, where NCKU received best ratings, focuses on establishing resilient infrastructure, prompting inclusive and sustainable industry and advancing innovation. Regarding this goal, NCKU performed well with 99.8 points, close to a full-mark. There are four indices included in SDG9, namely Research, Patents, University spin offs, and Research income from industry and commerce. NCKU received full marks in three out of four indices, with a 98.7 mark in Research. This performance reflects that the innovations and inventions by NCKU has demonstrated practical effects in the development of resilient future socio-ecological systems.
(Left to right) Leslie Y-P Tsai, Chief Executive Officer of Atelier Future. Pei-Jung Lu, Secretary General. Huey-Jen Su, President. Sheng-Hsiang Lin, Director of Institutional Research Division, Office of Research and Development. Tsair-Fuh Lin, Vice President of Office of R&D.
Huey-Jen Su further explained that NCKU defines its social responsibility regarding the innovation of technology and practical products. Moreover, when new cultural perspective or new paradigms emerge, the university helps them take roots by reinforcing the values in each department and college. The departments and colleges coordinate their resources in each feasible aspects, and lastly the knowledge and methods are examined at a cross-college platform to ensure they are innovative and practical, and are able to bring long-lasting influences.
Regarding SDG7 Affordable and Clean Energy and the future problems brought about by global energy and fossil fuel demands, NCKU has released an action statement of divestment in carbon-intense industry. The university states that currently its investment in carbon-intense energy industry takes up 1.18% of its endowment funds. Pledging not increasing the investment, NCKU further vows to divest from it gradually. Moreover, NCKU has established sustainable investment policies, incorporating ESG issues into investment analyses and decision making, giving priorities to industries that excel in social responsibilities or take part in climate initiatives, fulfilling its Principles for Responsible Investment.
The outstanding performance of NCKU shows the meaning and contribution of a top university when it actively responds to society and key world issues.
In addition, four buildings on NCKU campus received silver ratings in the EEWH, a green building certification, between 2018 and 2020. These buildings include Ocean Engineering Building, Bioscience and Biotechnology Building, Science Teaching Building, and its Swimming Pool and Sports Stadium. As for the Magic School of Green Technologies located on NCKU Li-Hsing Campus, which is the first zero carbon green building in Taiwan with its construction completed in 2011, received the diamond rating—the highest rating—and was listed as the model for green buildings in the 6th analysis report of the IPCC, serving as a reference for global carbon reduction policies.
To transform Tainan into a low carbon city, NCKU connects with the government and industry to establish a mutual creative mechanism for innovative research and development among industry, government, and academia. In 2020, Shalun Innovation Alliance was brought into existence incorporating 5G, artificial intelligence, and data exchange platform technologies to apply solutions to fields including smart healthcare, future transportation, reducing carbon emission, circular economy. The SIA focuses on developing prospective technological innovations, experiment testing fields, and intellectualization of data exchange. In September of 2020, NCKU signed MOUs with both the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan and SIA, pushing for the development of green energy in Taiwan in order to realize a sustainable smart city.
The Impact Rankings by Times Higher Education began in 2019. The Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the UN SDGs, with calibrated indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparison across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. The 2022 Impact Rankings is the fourth edition and the overall ranking includes 1,406 universities from 106 countries/regions. 45 Taiwan universities are included in this edition. The outstanding performance of NCKU shows the meaning and contribution of a top university when it actively responds to society and key world issues.
Provider:
News Center
Date:
2022-06-06