Four universities in Thailand were listed among the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023, which measure global universities’ success in delivering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The four universities are Chulalongkorn University, coming in 17th place, Mahidol University ranking 38th, Chiang Mai University in the North ranking 74th, and Khon Kaen University in the Northeast coming in 97th place.

The 2023 Impact Rankings is the fifth edition, and the overall ranking includes 1,591 universities from 112 countries/ regions. A total of 65 Thai universities placed in the 2023 Impact Rankings, up from 52 in 2022. In the 2022 Impact Rankings, only two Thai universities, Chulalongkorn University and Chiang Mai University, featured in the top 100.

The rankings assess universities' contribution to all 17 of the UN's SDGs across all their core activities: teaching, research, outreach, and the stewardship of their own resources. Several Thai universities were also ranked among the top 10 in seven of the 17 goals, as follows:

Mahidol University took third spot in the top 10 for SDG 3 (good health and well-being), fifth spot for SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), and also fifth spot for SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals);

King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi placed fourth in the top 10 for SDG1 (no poverty), which aims to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030;

Thammasat University took seventh spot for SDG 5 (gender equality), which sets a 2030 deadline for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls;

Khon Kaen University came ninth in the top 10 for SDG 2 (zero hunger), which is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with the rankings of the Thai universities in the Impact Rankings 2023, saying that Thai universities have continued to develop themselves to international standards. The Government is ready to provide full support to higher educational institutions in the country, so that they will be able to achieve greater success and will play a more significant role as major mechanisms for national development, as well as moving the country toward achieving sustainable goals.