The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings has again ranked the University of the West Indies (UWI) among the world’s top institutions, for the fourth consecutive year.

Newly released rankings as of 2021 show that the UWI is now ranked in the top 500 impactful universities in a field of over 20,000 accredited higher education institutions.

The new ranking places UWI in the elite band of the top 2.5 per cent of universities worldwide.

The new ranking has cemented the achievement of Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles’s 2015 intention to globalise the university and to make it ready for regional and worldwide comparisons in THE’s rankings.

Addressing a virtual media conference on ‘The UWI’s stellar leadership confirmed by the 2021 Impact Ranking’, held today (April 27), Sir Hilary stated that the “THE ranking identified the UWI among the top 2.5 per cent of the best universities in the world, in terms of the impact of our research, our leadership and our policy framework”.

Universities ranked on the Times Higher Education list are so done with four criteria in mind.

The first criterion is partnership for progress on a global scale, which is compulsory for all universities that participate in the ranking. The other three criteria are chosen by the university based on any three sustainable development goals.

In the case of The UWI, these chosen criteria include climate-smart policy and framework, the public health policy and framework, and the gender justice policy and framework.

Given this criterion and the results from the new ranking, Sir Hilary said “that the results have reaffirmed our position in the world as an elite university”.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based tertiary institution to be listed on the Times Higher Education list.