Cihan University-Erbil Achieves High Ranking in Kurdistan Region for Contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals in THE Impact Rankings 2025
In a significant moment that underscores its profound commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development, Cihan University-Erbil proudly announces its official inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025. This prestigious global ranking serves as the foremost benchmark for assessing universities’ contributions worldwide towards achieving the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This recognition reflects the capacity of educational institutions to create a genuine and lasting difference in their communities and globally.
Cihan University-Erbil achieved an impressive overall score of 60.8 out of a possible 100 points, proudly placing it in the 1001-1500 global category among 2,318 participating educational institutions from around the world. The university is listed in the fourth alphabetically-ordered band, which includes only four private universities from the region that met the qualification criteria. Furthermore, an analysis of the published scores for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicates that Cihan University-Erbil ranks first among all private universities in the Kurdistan Region.
This remarkable accomplishment is a culmination of the university’s diligent and continuous efforts to effectively integrate the principles of the SDGs into all aspects of its academic and research activities, as well as its community initiatives. The university’s participation in this ranking is based on its outstanding performance in four of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the mandatory SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which is a prerequisite for inclusion in the overall ranking.
The university demonstrated remarkable excellence across several key areas, underscoring its comprehensive approach to sustainability. For SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, Cihan University-Erbil scored 65.4 points, achieving a distinguished ranking in the 301-400 category out of 1,788 institutions worldwide. This performance reflects the university’s deep commitment to advancing public health. It showed significant strength in indicators such as research in health and well-being, earning 55.1 points, which indicates intensive research activity and valuable scientific contributions to understanding and improving health conditions. The university also affirmed its pivotal role as a primary provider of qualified medical and health professionals who meet the needs of the job market and society, achieving 84.8 points in the number of graduates in health professions. Furthermore, its score of 55.3 points in collaborations and health services highlights the university’s effective partnerships with hospitals, health institutions, and the community to deliver high-quality health services and enhance health awareness.
For SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, a pivotal goal for natural resource sustainability, the university achieved a score of 44.3 points, placing itself in the 401-600 category out of 1,042 ranked institutions. These results highlight the university’s efforts in promoting sustainable water resource management. This includes water-related research, where it scored 77.0 points, emphasizing innovative research that contributes to solving challenges of water scarcity and pollution. Its score of 50.0 points in water reuse also reflects the university’s sustainable practices in efficiently managing its water resources. Other indicators further underscore this commitment, such as water usage efficiency and care (33.3 points), water consumption per person (16.6 points), and its contribution to water in the wider community (35.0 points).
In an exceptional achievement for SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, the university scored 64.5 points, securing a very advanced ranking in the 101-200 category out of 1,181 ranked institutions. This classification affirms the university’s leadership in transitioning towards sustainable energy sources and environmentally friendly practices. This is demonstrated through its research in clean energy, where it achieved 77.0 points, indicating the university’s investment in innovations that support the development and use of renewable energy sources. Its outstanding efficiency in energy consumption and waste reduction is also highlighted by its impressive score of 88.6 points in energy intensity. This performance is further supported by the university’s measures towards affordable and clean energy (55.5 points), its contributions to energy in the wider community (55.0 points), and its efforts in low-carbon energy use (32.3 points).
Finally, for SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, the mandatory goal for qualification in the Impact Rankings, Cihan University-Erbil scored 56.2 points, placing itself in the 1001-1500 category out of 2,389 ranked institutions. This performance demonstrates the university’s firm commitment to broad collaboration and partnerships to achieve shared objectives. This is evident in its research on partnerships for the goals (65.4 points) and effective relationships to support the goals (70.0 points), which underscore the university’s strong network of connections with various stakeholders, both locally and internationally. The publication of SDG reports (71.5 points) also indicates.
This prestigious global ranking significantly enhances Cihan University-Erbil’s standing, affirming its role as a leading educational and research center not only within the Kurdistan Region and Iraq but also on the international stage. It is not merely an acknowledgment of academic excellence; it is a testament to the university’s commitment to realizing its comprehensive vision that transcends traditional education to include active contributions to building a more sustainable and just future for all. This historic achievement is set to open wide avenues for new international partnerships, attract more talented students and committed researchers from around the world, and significantly boost the university’s positive and continuous impact on local and global society. Cihan University-Erbil continues its diligent pursuit of the highest levels of academic, research, and community excellence, looking forward to further and deeper contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the coming years, thereby solidifying its role as a driving force for positive change.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 global objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 to address the world’s most pressing challenges by 2030. These goals provide a shared blueprint for countries and institutions worldwide.
The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings evaluate universities worldwide based on their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike traditional rankings focused solely on research or teaching, the Impact Rankings measure a university’s impact through metrics such as community engagement, equity, and governance. This unique assessment provides a comprehensive view of how institutions are driving positive change locally and globally.
