Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Malaya (UM) have achieved top global recognition in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, which measure universities’ contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). USM ranked joint 14th globally and was the highest in Malaysia, Asia, and ASEAN, while UM jumped to 25th from 63rd last year. USM topped the world in SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and both USM and UM shared the global top spot for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). UM also ranked 6th in SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and 12th in SDG 15 (Life on Land). According to THE’s Phil Baty, Southeast Asian universities are not just committed to sustainability—they’re leading it, making significant real-world impact through teaching, research, outreach, and stewardship. Regionally, USM was second only to Indonesia’s Universitas Airlangga (ranked joint 9th), followed by the University of Indonesia (30th), and Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Chulalongkorn Universities (both joint 44th).