One of the key focuses of Széchenyi István University is sustainability, which it emphasizes in its educational and research and development activities. The University's achievements in this area are reflected in its improved position on the Sustainability Rankings published on 10 December by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a leading international higher education rating organization. 

Sustainability is one of the greatest challenges of our time, with the stakes being the liveability of the Earth and human societies for future generations. Recognizing this, Széchenyi István University has defined its contribution to this cause as a strategic goal. This commitment has been acknowledged with its improved position on the QS Sustainability Rankings. The University is ranked 889th globally—an advancement from its debut placement in the 901–920 range last year—and seventh in Hungary, while also being placed 352nd in Europe.

The ranking evaluates the contribution of higher education institutions to sustainability, focusing on environmental and social impact as well as quality of governance, based on the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards widely applied in the corporate sector. Széchenyi István University performed particularly well in the governance category, where it ranks as the 354th best globally. The prestigious list is topped this year by the University of Toronto in Canada, ahead of the second-ranked ETH Zürich in Switzerland, and the University of California (USA) and Lund University (Sweden), tied for third place.

The Board of Trustees, the Supervisory Board and the Senior Management of Széchenyi István University Foundation work together for the development of the institution (Photo: András Adorján)

“This is another significant achievement for Széchenyi István University, as it has been able to advance in the international competition in such a key area as sustainability. The Institution and the Board of Trustees of the Foundation maintaining it will continue to work together next year to achieve strategic goals, including strengthening scientific performance, innovation activities, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, which could lay the groundwork for further successes,” emphasized Béla Hetzmann, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation.

“International higher education rankings set objective benchmarks for universities, making it extremely important that our institution is listed by one of the most prestigious rating organizations. This confirms that our educational and scientific performance is considered high-quality on the global stage, enabling us to contribute to the development of Győr and the entire region,” stated Dr Bálint Filep, president of Széchenyi István University.

In addition to the sustainability ranking, Széchenyi István University is also featured on two other QS rankings: it is placed in the 1001–1200 range on the latest World University Rankings and 370th on the European Rankings.

The Győr campus of Széchenyi István University - the Institution is making significant efforts for sustainability (Photo: Miklós Máté Korcz)