The University of Surrey has moved into the top 50 of Times Higher Education's (THE) Impact Rankings, which assesses global institutions against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Surrey has been ranked 46th in this year's THE rankings out of 1,591 participating universities. This also means that Surrey has moved into the top 10 of universities in the UK, ranking 9th in the country.

The news was met by the University's Vice-Chancellor highlighting the crucial role universities can play in helping communities across the world tackle grand challenges such as hunger, clean water for all and gender equality.

Professor Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, said: "The University of Surrey is committed to improving the health of our planet and the wellbeing of the living beings that call it home."

"Through our recently-established Institute for Sustainability, we are pioneering a new way to address sustainability by connecting multidisciplinary capabilities and social goals to build a better future for our world. We're also embedding sustainability in our teaching, offering students a holistic education, and we will be launching a new sustainability course in September."

"So, we are proud of our community's effort and contributions being recognised by this prestigious ranking."

Four of the SDGs that Surrey submitted for the rankings were ranked top 50 and six were ranked top 100.

Professor Bob Nichol, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, and Executive Sustainability Lead from the University of Surrey, said: "We are incredibly proud to have moved up nine places into the top 50 universities in the world. This achievement is a testament to the commitment of everyone at Surrey to make a positive impact on communities across the world, especially those that are most vulnerable."