UP reserves 2nd spot in Africa for QS World University Rankings

The University of Pretoria (UP) is one of three universities in Africa that have attained a spot in the top 200 institutions on QS Sustainability Rankings for 2023.

The QS World University Rankings featured 700 universities; 16 of which are in Africa and nine are in South Africa.

The rankings were released on Wednesday, with UP ranking second in Africa and South Africa.

The rankings measure an institution’s ability to tackle the world’s most important challenges relating to environmental, social and governance, beyond campus grounds.

The ranking is also designed to focus on research impact and whether graduates are going on to work in sustainable careers.

The contest also evaluates if institutions’ campuses target the use of renewable energy sources and recycling initiatives.

The institution leading globally in two key categories; social impact and environmental impact was the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), receiving perfect scores of 100 for both categories.

Second and third place respectively was awarded to the University of Toronto (94.9) and the University of British Columbia (94.5).

UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe, said the university “does not chase after rankings for the sake of it, but undertakes research that yields positive results for the communities it serves, as well as for the continent as a whole”.

Kupe said UP would continue to improve as the world grappled with challenges such as climate change.

He said that UP’s achievement as one of the top-ranking universities in Africa in sustainable institutions indicated how its strategy and operations were best positioned towards achieving an environmentally sustainable future.

Kupe said that sustainable education further indicated how the university taught students to understand and make a difference in the environment.

“UP’s ability to propel graduates into strong careers, as well as the strength of connections the institutions have with employers, is reflected in its performance in employment and opportunities.

“When it comes to equality that assesses the climate of equality at the institution, UP is tops in the country,” Kupe said.

He said the university’s performance in the QS Impact Rankings indicated its partnerships in research and industry to share knowledge and spur educational growth.

QS Director of Analytics and Evaluation Leigh Kamolins said QS research indicated how deeply students cared for safety, equality, diversity and the economy of the country they’re studying in.

He said prospective students highlighted issues such as for a university to have a policy on gender equality if the country where the university is located provided no legal protection for women or minorities.

“We want to ensure that the concerns that matter most to students are front and centre of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability,” Kamolins said.

He said the system was not designed to be a static ranking.

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