인천대 송도캠퍼스

Songdo Campus

Incheon National University has ranked 9th globally in the 2025 WURI (World University Rankings for Innovation), a global indicator that evaluates universities based on innovation. This marks a four-place rise from its 13th position last year, making it the highest-ranked Korean university on the list.

WURI is an innovation-focused university ranking system that assesses how effectively a university’s education, research, and social engagement bring about real-world impact and societal ripple effects (marginal effect). The ranking is jointly organized by four institutions: the Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU), the Institute for Policy and Strategy on National Competitiveness (IPSNC), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the Taylor Institute of Franklin University Switzerland.

This year’s evaluation saw participation from 1,253 universities across 87 countries, with a record 4,866 innovation programs submitted. Incheon National University ranked in the global top 10 in three major categories: Student Mobility and Openness (3rd), Culture and Values (4th), and Crisis Management – Sustainable Funding (8th).

INU’s strong performance was attributed to innovation cases that demonstrated both practicality and scalability. In the Student Mobility and Openness category, its communication-centered internationalization model—including the “Global Fair” led by international students and local community engagement by exchange students—was highly praised.

In the Culture and Values category, the university earned recognition for creating a sustainable campus care ecosystem through an integrated welfare program combining health check-ups and exercise guidance for students, faculty, and staff. In addition, its humanities lecture series, which connects classical texts to modern social issues with participation from local citizens, was positively evaluated as a public platform for intergenerational communication and knowledge sharing.

In the Sustainable Funding category, INU’s fundraising strategies and commercialization of technology transfer were noted for driving structural improvements that enhance the university’s financial self-reliance.

Based on this WURI success, Incheon National University plans to intensify its efforts in the RISE (Regional Innovation-led University Support System) initiative, which aligns closely with WURI’s emphasis on innovation and social impact. INU also aims to further strengthen its role as a platform leading this global shift toward impact-based university evaluation systems.

President Lee In-Jae stated, “This achievement is a result of Incheon National University’s sustained and practical innovation efforts being recognized globally,” adding, “As a regional flagship national university, INU will continue to gain recognition in global university rankings through strategies centered on regional innovation.”

INU first appeared in the inaugural WURI ranking in 2020 at 35th place and has since seen five consecutive years of improvement—26th in 2021, 21st in 2022, 18th in 2023, 13th in 2024, and now 9th in 2025.

Meanwhile, in this year’s WURI ranking, Minerva University (USA) placed 1st, Arizona State University 2nd, and École 42 (France) 3rd. Other Korean universities in the top 30 included Seoul National University (19th) and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (22nd). The results were announced at the 5th HLU (Hanseatic League of Universities) General Assembly held on July 10 in Dumaguete, Philippines.