The University of Bucharest, internationally recognised for its commitment to sustainable development

For the first time in the history of Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, a Romanian university is placed in the global top 100. The University of Bucharest ranks first in Romania and 93rd globally, and was placed 3rd in the world for achieving the Gender Equality goal.

This exceptional placement reaffirms the University of Bucharest’s mission to be a space of excellence, inclusion, and social responsibility. It is a recognition of the sustained efforts of our academic community and a strong encouragement to continue shaping a sustainable future for Romania and the world through education and research. This achievement is not only a source of pride but also a renewed commitment to take concrete action to reduce inequalities, promote equity, protect the environment, and strengthen partnerships that lead to real change. The University of Bucharest will continue to be an active, responsible force in transforming education and society, within Romania and beyond” , stated Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest.

Other notable global rankings for UB in the 2025 Impact Rankings:

top 25 globally for SDG 4 – Quality Education;
top 36 globally for SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions;
top 83 globally for SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities;
top 84 globally for SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Times Higher Education evaluates higher education institutions based on their progress towards the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda. The ranking methodology considers each university’s top three highest-scoring SDGs, along with a mandatory score for SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.

Good international rankings were also achieved for SDG 1 – No Poverty; SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities (tied with Babeș-Bolyai University), and SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being.

^{Image credits: University of Bucharest.}

UB, leading the national list

At national level, among the 25 Romanian universities included in the ranking, the University of Bucharest leads the list, followed by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and “Babeș-Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca.

For this edition, the University of Bucharest reported data for 9 of the 17 goals. Of those, UB ranked first nationally in seven:

SDG 4 – Quality Education,
SDG 5 – Gender Equality,
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth,
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities,
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities,
SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions,
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals (joint first place nationally, along with the Bucharest University of Economic Studies).

A university grounded in reality and responsive to societal needs

Through this unprecedented performance, the University of Bucharest reaffirms its role as a leader in Romanian higher education and as a respected international academic partner. Ranking among the world’s top 100 universities for sustainable development highlights the university’s consistent commitment to values such as equity, social responsibility, quality education, and active community engagement.

This result also signals a firm commitment to the future: UB will continue building a university that is grounded in reality, responsive to societal needs, and ready to tackle global challenges through knowledge, collaboration, and innovation.

The full rankings and details on the methodology used to assess university engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals are available here.

Read the original, full story in Romanian.

Latest Highlights:

Christian Möllmann: A "civizen" linking European and African universities

Aix-Marseille Université hosted the celebration of "25 Years of Téthys network"

European Round Table at UNIL, tackling Joint Doctoral Programmes

Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future, launched during the Nobel Symposium

University of Salzburg founds international Stefan Zweig centre