On 24 June 2026, Times Higher Education (THE) published the results of the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, a global ranking that evaluates universities based on their contribution to achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2026, the ranking was introduced for the first time under its new title, THE Sustainability Impact Ratings, replacing the former THE Impact Rankings, which had been published annually since 2019 and has become one of the world’s most authoritative international assessment systems for measuring universities’ contributions to sustainable development.
The 2026 edition of the ranking included approximately 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories. To be eligible for the overall ranking, universities were required to submit evidence for at least four Sustainable Development Goals, with SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals serving as a mandatory assessment category.
For the first time in history, three higher education institutions of Turkmenistan were included in the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings. This achievement reflects the growing international recognition of the country’s higher education system and the successful implementation of sustainable development principles within its universities.
The International Oil and Gas University named after Yagshygeldi Kakayev has been successfully participating in this prestigious international ranking for the fifth consecutive year (since 2022), demonstrating the high quality of its educational, scientific, innovative and international activities.
According to the 2026 assessment results, the University achieved the following positions:
• SDG 4 – Quality Education: 401–600 globally (the highest result among higher education institutions of Turkmenistan);
• SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy: 601–800 globally;
• SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: 601–800 globally;
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: successfully included in the global ranking.
Compared with the previous year, the University improved its performance in SDG 4, SDG 7, and SDG 9, reflecting the continuous development of its educational activities, scientific research, international cooperation, innovation infrastructure, and the effective integration of sustainable development principles into its academic and institutional practices.
Yagshygeldi Kakayev International oil and gas university
