The University of Pretoria (UP) is among the top 200 most innovative universities in the world according to the 2023 World University Rankings for Innovation (Wuri).

UP is the only South African university that made the cut after more than 420 universities were evaluated.

Tuks’ business incubator, TuksNovation is ranked 44th on the Wuri industrial application ranking, while the university itself is ranked in the 101-200 band.

TuksNovation is a technology-based business accelerator that provides product and business development support to local start-ups.

“UP is proud to be named among the top 200 universities on the 2023 Wuri,” said interim UP vice-chancellor and principal Prof Themba Mosia.

“We are especially pleased because these rankings evaluate universities’ practical contributions to society, highlighting how research and educational programmes are being used to create real change in our local and global societies.

“These rankings are in line with UP’s vision of being a leading African research-intensive university that makes a meaningful contribution to our society through all our research and educational programmes and efforts,” Mosia continued.

Since its establishment in 2020, Wuri has been organised by the Institute for Policy and Strategy on National Competitiveness (IPSNC) in Seoul, South Korea.

The IPSNC is supported by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Hanseatic League of Universities, and the Tailor Institute of Franklin University Switzerland.

“The incubation programme at UP provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful businesses with the help of a supportive community, mentorship, and access to resources,” Wuri said of TuksNovation’s 44th-place placement.

Mosia was especially pleased with TuksNovation’s placement as he believes the incubator is helping alleviate South Africa’s unemployment crisis.

“This high-tech business incubator is only in its fifth year of operation, but by last year TuksNovation had worked with 60 start-ups, which collectively generated revenues of over R20m, and trained 1 200 students in entrepreneurship and related entrepreneurial development initiatives,” Mosia added.

“Though Wuri 2023 ranked MIT, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and Harvard at the top of the list, it also included many lesser known yet remarkably innovative higher educational institutions which had not appeared before in other traditional university rankings,” said Dr Tae Hyun Kim, the chairperson of the Wuri co-ordinating body.

“Their emergence highlights how Wuri is not based on tradition, reputation, or popularity, but rather on new concepts such as innovativeness, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, openness, crisis management, and [progress during] the fourth industrial revolution.”