According to the latest UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, published in December, the University of Szeged has achieved 41st place globally in sustainability performance, securing a position among Europe’s top 20 universities. Advancing more than 30 places worldwide, SZTE’s performance signals a clear acceleration in its sustainability trajectory and reinforces its growing international standing as a benchmark institution in environmental responsibility.
Each year, Universitas Indonesia publishes the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, a global assessment framework designed to evaluate higher education institutions based on their sustainability performance, including institutional commitments, operational practices, and measurable environmental impact. The rankings’ international reach continues to expand at a rapid pace. While the inaugural edition in 2010 assessed 95 universities from 34 countries, the 2025 rankings featured 1,745 institutions representing 105 countries worldwide – an increase of nearly 300 universities compared with 2024.
The UI GreenMetric assessment operates with a standardized evaluation methodology, assessing institutions across six thematic areas: Setting and Infrastructure (15%), Energy and Climate Change (21%), Waste Management (18%), Water Management (10%), Transportation (18%), and Education and Research (18%). Within this structure, the University of Szeged delivered strong, well-balanced results across all categories. Based on its overall score, it ranked 41st globally and 19th in Europe in the latest edition – marking an improvement of 34 places worldwide and an 11-position advance within Europe.
The University of Szeged’s performance in international sustainability rankings provides clear, measurable confirmation of its long-term commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable development. With this latest result, SZTE is the only Hungarian university to achieve first- or second-place positions across all three major global sustainability rankings: the THE Impact Rankings, the QS Sustainability Rankings, and the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings.
With a score of 8,917.5 points in the latest assessment – nearly 300 points higher than last year – the University of Szeged now ranks among the world’s top 3 percent of evaluated institutions. At the national level, SZTE has consistently remained at the forefront of sustainability performance throughout the roughly one-and-a-half decades of the rankings’ history, placing second this year among the 13 Hungarian universities included in the assessment.
SZTE’s strong performance is underpinned by a broad, systematically implemented portfolio of sustainability initiatives spanning the university’s operations, education, research, health care, and third mission activities. Key measures include infrastructure development and energy modernization projects, a comprehensive Energy Efficiency Program, the installation of solar panel systems, rainwater retention and composting schemes, as well as sustainable transport solutions and the promotion of e-mobility.
Sustainability is also deeply embedded in education and research at SZTE, through the development of national and international sustainability-focused courses, the organization of a global sustainability summit for students, Sustainability Theme Week, e-fuel production projects, urban climate research, and habitat restoration initiatives. These efforts are further reinforced by the work of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Climate Change – operating within the Center of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research, Development, and Innovation (IKIKK) – alongside a wide range of national and international workshops, conferences, partnerships, a university green circle, and an extensive portfolio of volunteer, community, and health promotion programs.
Together, these initiatives reflect the University of Szeged’s integrated, institution-wide approach to sustainability, extending across its core missions and reinforcing long-term environmental and societal impact.
As a result of its sustained, institution-wide efforts, the University of Szeged has strengthened its role not only as a contributor to sustainable development but also as a university with rising international visibility and standing.
As one of the Hungarian coordinators of the UI GreenMetric international network, the University of Szeged demonstrates an ongoing commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability, with a strong emphasis on exemplary practice – positioning SZTE among leading green universities, both nationally and on the international stage.
Source: SZTEinfo
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