Increasing commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals across universities worldwide

Higher education has been a key driver of societal changes for centuries. To provide updates on how universities participated and contributed to the transition towards sustainable development, the current study firstly showcased how universities have embedded sustainable development goals into their visions, strategies, management, and plans across different continents. Then it reviewed the landscape of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments across universities based on the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking. Our result revealed that the number of universities that declared their commitment to SDG keeps increasing, from 467 Universities from 74 countries/regions in 2019 to 1406 universities from 103 countries/regions in 2022. Furthermore, universities have shifted their biggest focus from SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) in 2019 to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) in 2022, and SDGs 14 (Life Below Water) and 15 (Life on Land) received the least attention among universities over the years. In the end, we urge universities worldwide to take action to embed sustainable development concept into the curriculum in all disciplines, and equip our students with proper knowledges that enable them to think and act in sustainable ways.