The University of Haifa is among the top 200 universities in the world in terms of its contributions to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, according to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings published last week.
The ranking assessed the commitment of 1,705 universities from 115 countries to the goals across four areas: Research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.
University of Haifa jumped by 100 places compared to last year
The University of Haifa jumped by 100 places compared to its ranking last year and now ranks alongside universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of York.
The University of Haifa was the first Israeli university to adopt the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals as a mission. The university's highest scores were in the fields of gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, decent work and economic growth and partnerships it conducts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The University of Haifa is one of two Israeli universities featured in the ranking. The second, Bar-Ilan University, ranked in the top 600.
"The universities in the 21st Century have the duty to be part of the local and global social fabric. We must influence, be involved and take part in solving the great challenges of humanity," said University of Haifa rector Prof. Gur Alroey.
"We at the University of Haifa choose to be a beacon of values and higher education for the entirety of Israeli society and not an 'Ivory Tower,'" added Alroey. "Our high ranking in the IMPACT index is a source of pride for the entirety of Israeli academia and is the result of the large investment that the University of Haifa has made in the fields of social and environmental sustainability over the past two years. We are committed to continuing to be a strategic anchor of Israeli society and to be an influential university, the academic home of all those who want to influence Israeli society and humanity in general."