ETU “LETI”: THE Impact Rankings Assessed LETI’s Performance in Achieving UN Goals
The British magazine Times Higher Education (THE) has published the results of the third annual THE Impact Rankings 2021. The study assesses universities against 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set up by the United Nations. The universities are ranked based on the scores in their top three SDGs and the mandatory SDG “Partnership for the Goals.”
THE experts analyzed the contribution of St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” to the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The university showed the best result in the “Decent Work and Economic Growth” SDG, where it moved up by 100 positions compared to last year – from 201-300 band to the 101-200 band. The positive dynamics are due to the high share of employees with long-term contracts and a policy on ending discrimination in the workplace. LETI has a trade union of employees and guarantees equal rights to work. The Code of Ethics prohibits discrimination in the workplace, and equal pay is guaranteed regardless of the gender identity of an employee. Commission on Labour Disputes resolves all disputes. Also, ETU “LETI” received a high score for the university’s expenditure per employee.
The second-best SDG for the university is “Industry Innovation and Infrastructure,” in which the university maintained its position in the 201-300 band. The LETI’s strongest indicators were the number of university spin-offs, research income from industry, and published articles on topics related to this SDG.
In the Affordable and Clean Energy SDG, despite the total number of participants growing, the university managed to maintain its position in the 301-400 band. It was facilitated by high scores for energy consumption per square meter of campus and collaboration with the energy community. LETI runs professional development programs in energy-efficient technologies and training courses in renewable energy. Several enterprises of LETI Technopark are engaged in research in the field of energy decarbonization.
In THE Impact Rankings 2021, St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” is ranked in the 601-800 band.
“For the third year in a row, LETI took part in the UN global initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of the entire planet. Even though the number of participants in THE Impact Rankings 2021 has almost doubled compared to the previous year, our university has managed to maintain its position. THE Impact stands apart from all the other university rankings – no one else evaluates universities’ efforts in reducing inequality and preserving ecosystems, fighting climate change, and ensuring the health and well-being of students and employees. We hope that the contribution of LETI and other Russian universities in sustainable development will help humanity come closer to achieving an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and open future.”
Viktor Tupik, Vice-Rector for Research at ETU “LETI”
A total of 1,115 universities from 94 countries entered THE Impact Rankings 2021. The winner is the University of Manchester (UK). Universities from Australia – the University of Sydney and the Melbourne Royal University of Technology – took second and third places.