#GoingGlobal: VSU makes a debut in the World Impact Rankings 2022

Viscans, we made it! 

This is our first ever inclusion in the global ranking of universities based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Officially called the Impact Rankings 2022, this relatively new ranking system administered by the Times Higher Education (THE) is now on its fourth edition and is the only global performance assessment of universities that measures against the fulfillment of the 17 global goals of the United Nations.

A total of 1,406 universities around the world were evaluated in this edition to provide a comprehensive and balanced comparison of universities in the four areas of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

VSU was ranked 800-1000 globally for its first appearance in the THE Impact Rankings while placing 8th overall among Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs). 

In a press release issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), VSU scored the highest in the area of Quality Education (SDG 4) ranking 2nd among Philippine HEIs. 

VSU also obtained rank 3 in the areas of No Poverty (SDG 1) and Gender Equality (SDG 5), rank 8 in Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), and finally rank 10 in the areas of Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) including Global Partnerships (SDG 17).

Meanwhile, 14 other universities in the country made it to the cut with Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) topping in the Philippines after it obtained an overall global rank of 101 to 200. This is a 300% increase in the number of Philippine universities included in the Impact Rankings from having only 5 last year.

Also, state universities dominated the private schools for the first time with 8 schools coming from state universities and colleges (SUCs) while only 7 are from private institutions.

In the Visayas, VSU is joined by Cebu Technological University (CTU) at rank 12 in the Philippines with a global rank of 1001+ while in Mindanao, only Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) made it to the cut by tying with VSU at 8th spot after obtaining an overall global rank of 801-1000.

CHED Chairperson J. Prospero E. De Vera III expressed his delight for the inclusion of more Philippine universities in reputable global ranking systems.

“I am happy that the efforts and initiatives of Philippine Universities to contribute to the attainment of the SDGs are now being recognized internationally. Their inclusion among the world’s best universities is an incentive to the HEIs efforts of improving their faculty profile, research, student and faculty exchanges, and degree offerings. More importantly, by integrating the SDGs into their curriculum and strategic internationalization plans, HEIs are in tune with the global commitments to achieve the SDGs,” De Vera said.

In response, VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin expressed his commitment to continuously improve VSU’s performance in various global ranking systems in the next few years.

“I’m equally happy and challenged with this news. The VSU administration is fully committed to improve our international standing as we pursue greater efforts in fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I hope that our faculty, researchers and our students are now understanding the importance of aligning our many initiatives with the SDGs. We only have until 2030 to fulfill these global goals and I believe that concentrating our collective efforts towards these directions will make VSU more relevant in addressing the many pressing needs of the times,” Dr. Tulin explained.

While this is VSU’s debut to the THE Impact rankings, two other international rating systems have been accorded to VSU in the past two years. The first one is a 3-star rating with Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in May 2020 and a 4-star plus rating by the University Performance Metrics (UPM) in February 2021.

VSU has been investing quite heavily in its internationalization efforts by attracting exchange faculty and students from its global partner universities while also opening scholarship opportunities to foreign students who want to obtain a graduate degree here in the Philippines.

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