Our work to help end poverty recognised in Times Higher Education rankings
SOAS University of London has once again been listed among the top global universities in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
The 2023 rankings assess universities’ global performance against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With around 1,500 universities taking part this year, SOAS was ranked in the top 200 overall – within the top quartile.
Our top performing SDGs are:
- SDG 1: No Poverty at 33
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions at 69
- SDG 5: Gender Equality at 91
SOAS also ranked in the top 200 for SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities and in the top 300 for SDG 13 Climate Action.
SOAS Director Professor Adam Habib said: “Addressing some of the most pressing global issues is central to our work at SOAS. The recognition that our teaching, learning and research is having such impact in relation to the SDGs reaffirms the critical role the SOAS community plays in helping to build an equitable global community.”
SOAS offers a range of degree programmes related to sustainable development:
The Department of Development Studies is distinguished by its critical and engaged approach to international development, understanding social and economic change, and the impact of such change on affected communities, development actors and governments.
The SOAS Centre for Development, Environment and Policy seeks to address some of the greatest challenges of our times: how to satisfy the aspirations of a rapidly growing global population, including eradicating the poverty still experienced by many of these people, whilst at the same time managing the environmental systems and resources on which life and wellbeing depend.
The Department of Economics is a leading centre for economics research. Its vibrant research culture is driven by staff working on issues such as gender inequality, the economics of climate change and economics of sustainable business. The department specialises in the study of developing and emerging economies and the work covers an unparalleled range of regions from Sub-Saharan Africa to Japan and South Asia.
The Department of Politics and International Studies is distinguished by a critical approach to the study of the politics of the Global South. SOAS Politics programmes engage with developments in African, Asian and Middle Eastern domestic and international politics, and their relationship to countries in the West.
The Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy through varied degree programmes and course offerings, as well a range of extra-curricular activities has developed policy impact research programmes for the SDGs. These include work on a new paradigm for effective war crimes prosecutions, enabling women and girls' education, enhancing sport diplomacy for development, and energising the global disarmament agenda.
The School of Law’s research influences public and policy debate, legal practice and public understanding of social and legal issues. The School’s wide thematic and regional expertise makes a significant impact on non-academic bodies and individuals in the UK and in our specialist regions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The School’s work addresses justice, including International Criminal Law, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, transitional justice, institutional reform, law and development, climate change and the environment.
The SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance aims to advance the transition to an equitable, low-carbon economy by providing a forum for interdisciplinary research on sustainable finance and investment. It seeks to enhance the knowledge and understanding of sustainable finance in both the Global North and South and act as a focal point for policy debates in this area.
