The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking has rated Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham first in India for the fourth consecutive time. It is ranked 81st in the world. The ranking included 2,152 universities from 125 countries and regions.
This is the only global indicator to assess universities’ progress towards the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and their commitment to sustainability across key areas such as research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching. The 2024 results were announced during THE’s Global Sustainable Development Congress held in Bangkok on 10 June 2024.
The London-headquartered THE (Times Higher Education) has been providing annual performance data on universities for students and their families, academics, university leaders, governments and industry, since 2004. Its purpose, as noted in its website, is to provide a resource for readers to understand the different missions and successes of higher education institutions. Its rankings cover the three main areas of university activity: research, impact and teaching.
Amrita group of institutions was founded by spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi. Her dual goals are education for life and compassion-driven research.
Ranking in various SDG categories
- SDG 4 (Quality Education) – Rank 3
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) – Rank 7
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality) – Rank 22
- SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) – Rank 62
- SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) – Rank 87
- SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) – Rank 87
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – Rank 301 to 400
Live-in-Labs
At the heart of this recognition is Amrita’s Live-in-Labs® initiative. It is an internship program in rural India where students live in impoverished villages across the country to collaborate with the community and find sustainable solutions.
As Chancellor of Amrita, she said universities should consider how much society has been able to use their research to serve the lowest and most vulnerable strata of society. Popularly known as Amma, she started Live-in-Labs® in 2013.
Since then, according to a press note, the institution reached more than a million beneficiaries across 25 states. Students from more than 30 institutions around the world travelled to India. Students and faculty clocked 400,000+ hours in the field, the note added.
