EDUCATION NEWS
News from Universities
Australian National University
ANU climbs to 16th in world sustainability rankings
ANU has been named the 16th best university in the world for social and environmental sustainability, improving 32 places on the previous year according to the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026, placing third nationally out of 38 institutions assessed, with its overall score rising 5.1 points to 97.2 out of 100. The university was recognised as a national leader in environmental sustainability and knowledge exchange, ranking second in Australia in both categories, while also placing sixth globally for social impact and recording a 55-place global improvement in environmental impact. Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown said the result reflects the university’s dedication to reducing its carbon footprint and driving sector-leading sustainability through research, teaching and university-wide action, with ANU now supporting more than 600 researchers working on climate and energy issues, and 28 per cent of its courses including sustainability-related content.
ANU ranked Australia's best for social sciences and physical sciences
ANU has been confirmed as the number one ranked university in Australia for Social Sciences, placing 35th globally, and Physical Sciences, placing 60th globally, in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject for 2026. The university also ranked third in the country for Arts and Humanities, rising 12 spots to 53rd globally, and for Law at 39th globally, with Business and Economics also climbing 11 spots to 70th globally. Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Ann Evans said the rankings showcase how ANU continues to take important strides forward in key subject areas as it fosters a culture of excellence. Separately, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, ANU led the nation in 11 academic subjects, with nine subjects placing in the global top 20, including Philosophy at 4th, Anthropology at 9th and Archaeology at 10th worldwide.
More than $11 million secured for early-career researchers
ANU researchers have been awarded more than $11 million in new funding through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award and Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities schemes, supporting emerging research leaders and cross-disciplinary projects spanning social sciences, public policy, humanities, Indigenous studies, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and engineering. Among the funded projects are research into building and governing sectarianism among Muslim communities and the modern Chinese state, using genetics to protect Australia’s predators from cane toads, decoding stellar and galactic evolution through star clusters, and safeguarding native plant biodiversity from fungal pandemics. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Lachlan Blackhall congratulated recipients, saying the awards recognise the depth of talent within the university’s early-career research community and the strength of its partnerships across industry, government and international collaborators.