FOLLOWING on the heels of the increasing number of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) ranked in the recently-released World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), more Philippine HEIs are now ranked in the newly-released 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE IR).

Fifty-six Philippine HEIs were among the globally-ranked universities in the 2024 THE IR, manifesting a continuous increase for six years in a row.

From one HEI evaluated in 2019, four in 2020 and 2021, 15 in 2022, 29 last year to 56 institutions subjected themselves to THE evaluation in 2024. This is a significant increase of 93% from last year.

Furthermore, the Philippines ranked among the top 10 countries with the most number of participating higher education institutions.

Commission on Higher Education Chairman Popoy De Vera III emphasized that this progress is proof that “our HEIs are consciously benchmarking and internationalizing their programs, faculty development, research, and public service with other HEIs but also in the context of the global Social Development Goals (SDG).”

“This collective effort reflects the growing understanding that universities have a vital role to play in addressing global challenges,” De Vera added.

“We are witnessing a paradigm shift where universities are actively integrating social development goals into their core mission,” he said.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity.

The THE IR ranks higher education institutions around the world based on their real-world impact as measured by the UN SDGs.

Several institutions have secured spots within the coveted top 100 for specific SDG goals, highlighting their focused efforts in crucial areas:

SDG 1 – No Poverty

SDG 2 – Zero Hunger

SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-Being

SDG 6 – Clean Water & Sanitation

SDG 7 – Affordable & Clean Energy

SDG 14 – Climate Action

SDG 16 – Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

Ateneo de Manila University maintains its place in the 201-300 bracket, leading the Philippine HEIs in the THE IR.

Notably, Ifugao State University emerged as a strong contender in its first-ever participation to the THE IR, securing the second spot as the best performing Philippine HEI tying with the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University.

The continuous growth in the number of globally ranked universities in THE IR underscores the unwavering commitment of Philippine HEIs to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and making a positive societal impact.