Rome Business School has achieved a major milestone: it is the only Italian business school to be included in the THE Impact Rankings 2025, the global university ranking developed by Times Higher Education. This international ranking assesses how academic institutions contribute to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This result is no coincidence. It reflects a clear strategic vision: to educate future managers and leaders who combine professional expertise with ethical awareness, inclusiveness, and innovation. Rome Business School has built an educational model based on strong values, placing sustainability, gender equality, and positive social impact at its core.
Among more than 2,300 institutions worldwide, Rome Business School stood out for its tangible contribution in five key SDG areas:
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
Partnerships for the Goals
The THE Impact Rankings are based on a methodology that combines an institution’s performance in SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals, with its top three performing SDGs. This approach rewards institutions with a systemic and integrated commitment to sustainable development.
Rome Business School has made significant investments in these areas, launching innovative and forward-looking academic programs. Among the most impactful initiatives:
The launch of three international master’s programs focused on sustainability, circular bioeconomy, energy management, ethics, and inclusion.
The introduction of the cross-disciplinary module “Become an Innovative & Responsible Leader“, mandatory for all students and designed to develop responsible leadership.
A strong commitment to gender equality, with 60% female students in the most recent intake. Notable initiatives include the Executive Women in Business Grant and the Women Leadership Module, which provide mentoring, soft skills development, and practical tools to overcome gender barriers.
At the heart of RBS’s model is an inclusive vision of leadership and entrepreneurship. Through RBS4Entrepreneurship, the school’s in-house incubator, Rome Business School has supported over 151 startup projects in 57 countries since 2021. Impressively, 64% of these ventures are led by women.
In addition, the school is deeply engaged in international research partnerships. Key collaborations include:
With RES4Africa Foundation on energy transition projects in emerging countries;
With the University of Burgos on a comparative study of school bullying in relation to age and gender;
With Doctors Without Borders, on research exploring the gender gap in the workforce in Italy and Afghanistan.
Beyond academic excellence, Rome Business School fosters a collaborative and socially responsible ecosystem. Students, faculty and staff are actively involved in impactful community projects.
For instance, RBS works with Binario 95, a multifunctional center supporting people experiencing homelessness. It also runs awareness and training initiatives in collaboration with Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and Fondazione Pangea Onlus, all aimed at promoting active citizenship and preparing professionals for the non-profit sector.
“These initiatives help shape leaders who are aware of their social impact. Being the only Italian business school included in the THE Impact Rankings 2025 is a true honor for us. It motivates us to keep pursuing our mission: to provide an ethical, inclusive education connected to the real needs of society and to foster meaningful connections between knowledge, business and the common good,”
says Antonio Ragusa, Dean of Rome Business School.
