The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, provide a shared framework for addressing global challenges by 2030. They aim to end poverty, protect the environment, tackle climate change and promote peace and prosperity while balancing economic, social and environmental development for present and future generations.
Founded in 1967, Hacettepe University is one of Türkiye’s major public research universities. Today, the University comprises 17 faculties, 15 institutes, 4 vocational schools and 1 conservatory, serving more than 47,000 students with the support of over 3,200 academic staff. Alongside its long-standing strengths in medicine and health sciences, Hacettepe brings together expertise from life sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts and humanities to address complex challenges through interdisciplinary research and education.
Universities play an important role in advancing sustainable development through education, research, innovation and community engagement. At Hacettepe University, sustainability is considered an integral part of these activities rather than a separate area of work. To support the institutional integration of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals Working Committee was established in April 2019. On 3 July 2019, the University Senate formally adopted the United Nations 2030 Agenda, demonstrating the University’s institutional commitment to integrating sustainability into education, research, community engagement and administrative practices.
HOW SUSTAINABILITY IS ORGANISED
Sustainability at Hacettepe University is supported through the collaboration of academic and administrative units with different responsibilities. Rather than being coordinated by a single office, sustainability is embedded across education, research, campus operations and institutional planning through collaboration across the University.
The Sustainable Campuses Coordinatorship leads environmental sustainability initiatives across the University’s campuses. Its responsibilities include energy efficiency, water and waste management, zero waste practices, biodiversity, sustainable transportation, accessibility, green campus initiatives and the preparation of the University’s Sustainability Reports.
The Sustainable Development Goals Website provides access to the University’s policies, sustainability activities and partnerships related to the Sustainable Development Goals. It supports the visibility of the University’s contributions to the SDGs.
The monitoring and evaluation of the University’s sustainability performance is coordinated by the Performance and Ranking Office, operating under the Digital Transformation and Informatics Coordinatorship. The Office monitors institutional performance related to the Sustainable Development Goals, coordinates international ranking processes and prepares monitoring and evaluation reports to support evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting are integral to Hacettepe University’s sustainability approach. The University regularly reviews its activities and performance in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, using institutional data to monitor progress, identify areas for improvement and support future planning.
The Performance and Ranking Office, operating under the Digital Transformation and Informatics Coordinatorship, coordinates the monitoring and evaluation of the University’s performance related to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Office analyses institutional data, prepares monitoring and evaluation reports, and coordinates the University’s participation in international sustainability rankings and assessment frameworks.
The University uses both AVESİS (Academic Data Management System) and the Research Portal (Pure) to monitor and evaluate its research contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. Through these systems, publications, research projects, theses and other academic outputs are associated with the relevant SDGs, providing an overview of sustainability-related research across different disciplines.
While AVESİS supports the classification and monitoring of academic activities, the Research Portal (Pure) brings together researcher profiles, research outputs, organisational units, areas of expertise and international collaborations within a single platform. It also provides analytical tools that support institutional reporting, research assessment and the evaluation of research performance related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals Website complements these systems by bringing together policies, projects, partnerships and institutional practices related to each Sustainable Development Goal. It provides a central point of access to the University’s sustainability activities and supports transparency by making institutional information and evidence publicly available.
Together, these systems support the University in monitoring progress, evaluating its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, communicating its sustainability activities and informing institutional decision-making.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
Hacettepe University regularly participates in international sustainability assessments to evaluate its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, benchmark its performance against universities worldwide and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Hacettepe University currently participates in the following international sustainability assessments:
- Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings
- UI GreenMetric World University Rankings
- QS Sustainability Rankings
According to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2026, Hacettepe University was placed in the 201–300 band overall and received rankings in seven Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: 101–200
- SDG 4 – Quality Education: 54
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality: 11
- SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: 101–200
- SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: 201–300
- SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: 101–200
- SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: 201–300
The 2026 results reflect continued progress across several areas. Hacettepe University maintained its overall position while achieving 11th place worldwide in SDG 5 – Gender Equality. The University also recorded a substantial improvement in SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, moving from the 601–800 band to the 101–200 band.
In the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026, Hacettepe University was ranked 524th globally. In the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2025, the University was placed 183rd in the world, reflecting its ongoing efforts to strengthen environmental sustainability and campus management.
The outcomes of these international assessments are reviewed regularly and contribute to the University’s monitoring, evaluation and planning processes. They also provide an opportunity to compare institutional performance, identify areas for further improvement and support the continuous improvement of the University’s sustainability performance.
HACETTEPE UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY ECOSYSTEM
Sustainability at Hacettepe University is supported by a network of institutional platforms that connect education, research, campus operations and performance monitoring. The resources below provide access to the University’s sustainability-related policies, activities, research and reports.
| Sustainable Development Goals Website | https://sustainability.hacettepe.edu.tr/ |
| Sustainable Development Website | https://surdurulebilirkalkinma.hacettepe.edu.tr/en |
| Sustainable Campuses Coordinatorship | https://syk.hacettepe.edu.tr/ |
| Performance and Ranking Office | https://digihu.hacettepe.edu.tr/en/performance_and_ranking_office-159 |
| Monitoring and Evaluation Reports | https://digihu.hacettepe.edu.tr/en/reports-224 |
| AVESİS – Sustainability | https://avesis.hacettepe.edu.tr/sustainability |
| Research Portal (Pure) | https://research.hacettepe.edu.tr/ |
| Sustainability Reports | https://syk.hacettepe.edu.tr/en/sustainability_report-25 |
