Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) has reaffirmed its place on the global higher education stage, with the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings highlighting significant gains in industry engagement, a strengthening research environment and sustained international competitiveness.
The latest rankings, which assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, position SMU among internationally recognised institutions contributing to the advancement of knowledge, research and innovation.
As South Africa’s specialist health sciences university, SMU continues to compete with established medical and health sciences institutions internationally, reinforcing its growing relevance in an increasingly competitive global academic landscape.
A key highlight of the 2027 results is SMU’s strong improvement in industry engagement, with its performance score rising from 19.2 to 29.4, a 10.2-point gain. This is the university’s greatest year-on-year improvement and reflects encouraging progress in an area that measures knowledge transfer, innovation and engagement with industry.
The university’s Research Environment score also improved from 11.1 to 14.6, signalling positive momentum in strengthening the institutional conditions that support research productivity, reputation and investment.
International Outlook remains SMU’s highest-performing indicator at 50.1, underscoring its competitive position in international academic engagement and research collaboration.
Equally encouraging is SMU’s Research Quality score of 41.9, which compares favourably with established specialist medical universities in China, Poland and Japan within the same global ranking band. This performance demonstrates the university’s capacity to produce research that competes within the international health sciences landscape.
Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Dini Mawela describes the results as an affirmation of SMU’s academic potential and a key foundation for accelerating institutional excellence.
“Our ambition has never been simply to occupy a position on a global ranking table. It is to build a university whose knowledge, discoveries and graduates make a meaningful difference to healthcare and society. These results affirm that SMU possesses the research capability, international relevance and institutional potential to compete on the world stage. The significant improvement in industry engagement is particularly encouraging because it speaks to our ambition to translate academic knowledge into innovation and societal impact. We are building an institution that is not merely participating in global higher education but is determined to shape the future of health sciences in Africa and beyond.”
Acting Director: Advancement and Communications, Tshimangadzo Mphaphuli, says the results reinforce SMU’s positioning as a credible and competitive institution within the global health sciences education landscape.
“The strength of the SMU brand lies not simply in where we are ranked, but in what we represent and the value we deliver. For prospective students, our University represents an opportunity to pursue a future in the health sciences. For our partners and stakeholders, it represents an institution with growing research capabilities, international connections and opportunities for meaningful collaboration. Our global presence, coupled with measurable progress in key performance areas, gives us a compelling story to tell with confidence. We want every student, parent, alumnus, industry partner and member of the public to recognise SMU as a university of choice, whose relevance and contribution extend far beyond its campus.”
Mawela further emphasises that the university will use the findings to sharpen its strategic priorities, particularly research investment, postgraduate development, international partnerships and academic excellence.
While SMU is positioned in the 1401–1600 global band for 2027, up from 1201–1500 in 2026, underlying performance indicators reveal key institutional strengths and opportunities for continued advancement.
For SMU, the message extends beyond rankings: its growing research capability, international competitiveness and strengthening innovation ecosystem provide a foundation for advancing its contribution to health sciences education, research and healthcare development.
