RTU’s commitment to the environment has been evaluated in the international «QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024», placing the university in the 771-780 band in the overall rankings, and RTU did particularly well in the newly added category of governance, reaching 392nd in the world.
In the «QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024» rating, the ability of universities to solve globally important environmental, social and management issues is assessed. A governance category was included in the ranking for the first time this year to evaluate a university’s management sustainability, where RTU placed 392nd out of 1,403 participating institutions worldwide. The new category evaluates indicators of good governance such as the culture of ethics in the institution, student representation, dedicated staff for sustainable development, and transparent financial reporting.
RTU has made management issues a priority to achieve its strategic goals, and RTU's performance in this area was previously evaluated a year ago with a relevant award - a four-star rating «Recognized by EFQM», awarded by the European Foundation for Quality Management EFQM), evaluating the quality management system implemented by the university.
Environmental sustainability is also a strategically important area of RTU, which is integrated both in studies and science, with a sharp focus on research that promotes environmental sustainability, and in everyday life, as the university tries to follow a green lifestyle and popularize it among employees and students. Within the environmental education performance lens, RTU secured 507th place, while placing 562nd within the environmental sustainability lens.
For several years, RTU has been implementing the «Green Ķīpsala» initiative, which invites employees and students to save resources, and the innovations created by RTU scientists also plays an important role - they are approved in the RTU student campus in Ķīpsala, thereby promoting sustainable campus management.
The Social Impact category focused on employability and outcomes, equality, health and well-being, and the impact of education and knowledge exchange. The lenses for the category included equal treatment of different social groups, as well as the ability of the institution to propel graduates into strong careers, as well as the strength of connections the institution has with employers. RTU is aware that human capital is its most important asset and is committed to fostering a motivating environment for both employees and students.
The «QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024» has evaluated 1,403 higher education institutions, and only two universities from Latvia are included in this year’s edition - RTU and the University of Latvia (695th place). In addition, two universities from Estonia are included in the rankings - University of Tartu (563rd place) and Tallinn University of Technology (1201+ place). However, Lithuania is represented the most in the rankings - with five universities: Vilnius University (474th place), Kaunas University of Technology (586th place), Mikolas Romers University (637th place), Vytautas Magnus University (771st-780th place), and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (1051-1100 place).
The University of Toronto leads as the world's most sustainable university, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, and he University of Manchester in second and third place, respectively.
