Mapúa University has achieved another major milestone in its journey to be among the centers of academic excellence in the country. The 97-year-old university has finally debuted on the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR) 2023.
The university is now placed among the top 6% of the world’s higher educational institutions after ranking 1501+ among 1,799 universities across 104 countries globally. It has entered the list of just four Philippine-based universities that made it to the list—the others are Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines, and De La Salle University.
“It is the outcome of a two-decades-long drive, and the concerted efforts of the entire Mapúa community—students, faculty, administrative staff, alumni, officers, and trustees,” said Mapúa University President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea. He added that the 20-year journey focused on teaching quality and capability, research, and international linkages.
Mapúa University President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea during the Thanksgiving Celebration held on October 27 at Mapúa University’s new Makati campus
Mapúa’s advantages
Research was Mapúa University’s strongest advantage that made it rank 1139 in WUR. It has published 1,694 SCOPUS-indexed, internationally-vetted research papers since 2017, when it officially became a university (it was formerly known as Mapúa Institute of Technology. The university was the second highest in research among the four THE-listed universities in the country.
Most of the published research were about electrical, electronics, and computer engineering (648); industrial engineering (334); chemical, biological, environmental, and materials sciences and engineering (226); and information technology (186). Of these, 179 were published by faculty members and 1,462 were co-authored by students.
By Subject, Mapúa University also performed outstandingly. It ranked 801+ for computer science, 1001+ for engineering, and 1001+ for physical sciences. Global rankings in other criteria were also remarkable. It ranked 1703 in citations; 1716 in industry income; 1757 in teaching; and 1771 in international outlook.
20-year journey
“We started by having a vision—to become one of the best universities in the world,” Mapúa University Partnership Director Dr. Bonifacio T. Doma Jr. recalled during an interview with Tech and Lifestyle Journal. “So early on, we set a metric on how to tell whether we achieved that vision or not. One of the metrics is to be included in at least one of the two world university rankings.”
“During that 20-year journey, we actually crawled with all the criteria in the World University Rankings. The most difficult was to improve our research publication. The other crucial criteria we worked on was internationalization. It’s sustainable because we have some sort of procedure on how to keep and improve our research publication,” Dr. Doma added.
World-renowned The Manila Philharmonic Orchestra provided entertainment during the celebration.
Dr. Vea explained that global ranking provides evidence of Mapúa’s education quality. He affirmed that this stamp of quality would benefit graduates and alumni in terms of getting employment and being admitted to graduate school.
“The school itself would find it easier to find partners that would further raise the standards of its education and research, thereby generating a virtuous cycle of improvement,” Dr. Vea asserted.
“Mapúa University is heartened to have helped elevate the standing of Philippine higher education on the global stage. We will further raise the quality of Mapua education and research,” Dr. Vea concluded.
