Oxford EMI Projects & Sustainability Manager Yvette highlights the success of Oxford EMI partners in light of the recently published Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026.
A year ago, in September 2025, I wrote about the importance of sustainability to universities, highlighting that this is no longer optional for higher education, it is central to a university’s mission.
Looking through the Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, released this June, I was delighted to see universities we’ve worked with across France, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan feature in the top 100 globally, with many more placing in the top 200!
The Sustainability Impact Ratings recognise how universities from around the world are contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by assessing their research, teaching, outreach and institutional practices.
Here are a few standout success stories from our global network.
National Taiwan University (NTU): An historical milestone
Joint 10th globally — The highest ranking ever achieved by a Taiwanese university with outstanding performance across several SDGs:
- SDG 2 (Zero hunger): Ranked 3rd globally. Universities are assessed on their research related to hunger, how they address campus food waste and food insecurity among students, their contribution to food sustainability education, and tackling hunger at the national level.
- SDG 3 (Good health and well-being): Ranked 4th globally.
- SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure): Ranked 9th globally.
- SDG 14 (Life below water): Ranked 10th globally.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU): Excellence in health & innovation
Joint 49th globally — NYCU continues to push the boundaries of health equity and sustainable development:
- SDG 3 (Good health and well-being): Ranked 17th. Universities are assessed on their research on health and well-being, the proportion of health graduates, and their collaborations and health services.
- SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure): Ranked 26th.
- SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities): Ranked 48th.
IPB University, Indonesia: Tackling global poverty & hunger
62nd globally — IPB University demonstrated powerful real-world impact in supporting vulnerable communities:
- SDG 1 (No poverty): Ranked 15th. Universities are assessed on their research on poverty, the proportion of students receiving financial aid, and university and community anti-poverty programmes.
- SDG 2 (Zero hunger): Ranked 31st.
Bringing the SDGs into the Oxford EMI training room
Seeing our partner universities lead the world in sustainability reinforces one of the core missions of our training programmes. At Oxford EMI, we believe that achieving the SDGs requires cross-disciplinary collaboration and inclusive communication.
In our English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) teacher training courses, we directly embed SDG principles into course design:
- Inclusive pedagogy: We equip educators to champion cross-cultural communication, elevate teaching quality, and promote equal participation for all students.
- Hands-on integration: In our face-to-face training sessions, participants design and deliver a multidisciplinary microteaching session explicitly centered around at least one UN SDG.
By training academic staff to integrate global challenges directly into their teaching, we help universities build long-term capacity for sustainable impact.
Join the Conversation
Interested in knowing more? Contact Oxford EMI today to find out more about how we integrate the SDGs into our training courses for EMI lecturers.
Blog writer
Yvette Selwyn is the Projects & Sustainability Manager at Oxford EMI. You can find out more about her on the Meet our team page.