Chandigarh, April 28
In a path-breaking achievement, Shoolini University has emerged among the top 200 global universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022. The prestigious rankings, announced on Wednesday night by THE, are considered the gold standard for international rankings of institutions of higher learning.
The Solan-based university has also been ranked Number 2 in the world in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Affordable and Clean Energy among 705 institutions and Sixth among 674 institutions which competed in the Water Usage and Care category.
The monumental achievement of Shoolini University, founded 13 years ago, is the culmination of the mission announced by its founder and Chancellor Prof PK Khosla at the inception of the university. He had proclaimed that the university would be among the top 200 global universities by 2022. Shoolini is also ranked 89th by the National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) of the Union Education Ministry.
“Our vision to see Shoolini as a Top 200 University in the world seemed an impossible dream. Now, it has become a reality,” says Prof PK Khosla, founder and Chancellor of the university.
“Initially, there were many sceptics, but it was none other than India’s former President late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who encouraged us to strive towards this goal. Since then, we have persevered and our continued emphasis on research, quality of education and making a positive impact on society has enabled us to emerge as a distinctive institution of higher learning,” he recalls.
Dr Khosla, former Vice Chancellor of the CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur, had conceived of setting up a research-focused private university at par with global standards. “It is due to our continued emphasis on research that the university is ranked Number 1 in the country in Citation Impact Per Paper and Sixth in the QS Asia 2022 rankings. Our researchers have filed a record number of 1025 patents, which is among the highest in the country,” he reiterated.
Complimenting the teachers and researchers at the university, Pro-Chancellor Vishal Anand said, “The rankings are a landmark achievement for the 13-year-old university. This puts us at par with the best in the world and opens a world of opportunities for Shoolini and India to create truly global careers for students.”
President, Innovation and Director of Yogananda School of Artificial Intelligence, Ashish Khosla said the rankings aimed to identify and honour institutions striving for positive change. “They highlight the commitment and ability of universities to contribute to tackling the biggest challenges confronting our world. A top spot in these elite rankings is a matter of national pride,” he added.
Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla said the rankings indicated the future orientation of Institutions of higher education. They are a reflection of Shoolini’s work in areas as diverse as Artificial Intelligence, solar energy, water conversation, innovative teaching, including patents by students, and building an energy positive campus with gender parity.
The SDGs were adopted by all 193 member states and are a culmination of decades of work on pushing forward a global commitment to tackling the biggest issues facing our world. It was felt that universities were uniquely placed to help in the implementation of the SDGs.