Jakarta – Indonesia has achieved a major milestone in higher education with 71 universities featured in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings—its highest number to date. Among them, Universitas Airlangga (Unair) made history by securing 9th place globally, sharing the rank with Denmark’s Aalborg University.

The rankings, released on June 18, 2025, assess universities based on their alignment and contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With over 2,500 universities from 130 countries participating, the rankings highlight global efforts in tackling poverty, ensuring quality education, and promoting sustainability.

THE Impact Rankings use a set of metrics across four main areas:

1. Research – Contribution to SDG-related studies
2. Stewardship – Campus governance, human resource management, and sustainability practices
3. Outreach – Engagement with local and global communities
4. Teaching – Education that equips students to be SDG-conscious professionals

Universitas Airlangga’s exceptional performance underscores its role as a top-tier institution from a developing economy, reinforcing the region’s emergence as a thought leader in sustainability.

Other Indonesian universities joining the spotlight include Universitas Indonesia (UI) at rank 30 and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) at 82. A growing number of ASEAN institutions are beginning to lead in specific SDG categories—10 of the 17 individual goals were topped by East and Southeast Asian universities.

Here are the Top 20 Indonesian universities in the THE Impact Rankings 2025:

1. Universitas Airlangga (Unair) – Global Rank: 9
2. Universitas Indonesia (UI) – Global Rank: 30
3. Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) – Global Rank: 82
4. IPB University – Global Rank: 101–200
5. Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) – Global Rank: 201–300
6. Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) – Global Rank: 201–300
7. Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) – Global Rank: 201–300
8. Binus University – Global Rank: 301–400
9. Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) – Global Rank: 301–400
10. Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) – Global Rank: 301–400
11. Universitas Hasanuddin (Unhas) – Global Rank: 401–600
12. Telkom University – Global Rank: 401–600
13. Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) – Global Rank: 401–600
14. Universitas Brawijaya (UB) – Global Rank: 401–600
15. Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) – Global Rank: 601–800
16. Universitas Andalas (Unand) – Global Rank: 601–800
17. Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) – Global Rank: 601–800
18. Universitas Negeri Surabaya (Unesa) – Global Rank: 601–800
19. Universitas Sriwijaya (Unsri) – Global Rank: 601–800
20. Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) – Global Rank: 601–800

The strong presence of Indonesian institutions across these rankings is a signal of ASEAN’s growing influence in academic contributions to global challenges. The momentum affirms Southeast Asia’s role as a rising educational hub that combines local solutions with global relevance.

As ASEAN continues to prioritize inclusive and sustainable development, the performance of its universities in international assessments like THE Impact Rankings is more than symbolic—it’s a call for deeper collaboration, knowledge exchange, and investment in higher education across the region.