Copenhagen Business School among the world’s leading business schools in societal impact research

Today, universities play a far more crucial role in society compared to just a few decades ago. With complex issues spanning climate change, energy, healthcare and inequality locally as well as globally, there is a demand for new knowledge and research, and for this reason, universities’ societal contribution has become a major focus area.

Financial Times has recently published a report that ranks the best 100 business schools for the societal impact of their research, where CBS is 22nd on the list.

“CBS aims to maximise research impact by making our knowledge accessible and applicable to society. We work closely with the business community, policymakers and public organisations to create solutions that contribute positively to addressing these challenges,” says Søren Hvidkjær, Dean of Research at CBS.

He adds: “Achieving 22nd place globally not only highlights our academic standards but also our capacity to produce relevant, usable research for businesses and decision-makers.

Global Recognition in ShanghaiRanking 

In addition to the Financial Times placement, CBS achieved prominent positions in the recent 2024 ShanghaiRanking, securing 1st place worldwide in Business Administration, 5th in Management, 11th in Library and Information Systems and 26th in Finance.

“Such placements show that CBS competes with the best universities globally in fields critical to business and decision-making. This recognition speaks to our commitment to creating research that directly contributes to solving central societal issues and supporting growth in the business community,” says Søren Hvidkjær.

The ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) measures academic institutions based on objective indicators and external data, including faculty, research output, high-quality research, research impact and international collaboration. More than 1,900 universities across 96 countries and regions participate in this ranking, of which the purpose is to measure and show universities’ contribution to societal and economic development.

For further details, read the full reports from Financial Times and ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

Global recognition

The report assesses the world’s leading business schools based on their research impact using a range of criteria, including the volume and quality of academic publications, citation rates and research collaborations with businesses and public institutions. The report is based on a comprehensive analysis of research output and its practical application, offering insights into how university research contributes to society and addresses global challenges. 

You can read the full report and the methodology behind it, along with the complete list, here.