UP still top school in PH, Asian rankings show
By Kim Arveen PatriaYahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom – Tue, May 13, 2014
The University of the Philippines rose four places and remained the highest-ranked local school in a list of Asian universities released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
The premier state university landed 63rd in the QS rankings released Monday, up from 67th a year ago. It was followed by Ateneo de Manila at 115th, down from 109th.
Three other universities were included in the top 300 of the QS list, which measures school performance based on several factors including academic and employer reputation.
The University of Santo Tomas rose to 141st from 150th, while De La Salle University stayed in the 151-160 range. Ateneo de Davao jumped to 251-300 from being in the 301+ group.
The performance of Filipino schools this year is “much more encouraging,” QS Research Head Ben Sowter said, noting that many local schools’ rankings dropped in the past two years.
The report however noted that local schools remained weak on internationalization. This indicator measures the ratio of international students and faculty to the total population.
“The proposed ASEAN Economic Community may help more Philippine institutions gain greater recognition in the coming years…” Sowter noted.
Some of the top Philippine universities recently cited ASEAN integration as a rationale for shifting their academic calendars to conform to regional standards.
UP, for instance, has moved its school opening to August instead of June, a move the school administration claimed may invite more international students to enroll.
Commenting on the rankings, UP President Alfredo Pascual attributed the school’s improved showing to recently implemented academic and institutional changes.
These include more funds for research, improved facilities, greater support for graduate studies and “giving greater incentive for honor graduates to teach in UP.”
The premier state university landed 63rd in the QS rankings released Monday, up from 67th a year ago. It was followed by Ateneo de Manila at 115th, down from 109th.
Three other universities were included in the top 300 of the QS list, which measures school performance based on several factors including academic and employer reputation.
The University of Santo Tomas rose to 141st from 150th, while De La Salle University stayed in the 151-160 range. Ateneo de Davao jumped to 251-300 from being in the 301+ group.
The performance of Filipino schools this year is “much more encouraging,” QS Research Head Ben Sowter said, noting that many local schools’ rankings dropped in the past two years.
The report however noted that local schools remained weak on internationalization. This indicator measures the ratio of international students and faculty to the total population.
“The proposed ASEAN Economic Community may help more Philippine institutions gain greater recognition in the coming years…” Sowter noted.
Some of the top Philippine universities recently cited ASEAN integration as a rationale for shifting their academic calendars to conform to regional standards.
UP, for instance, has moved its school opening to August instead of June, a move the school administration claimed may invite more international students to enroll.
Commenting on the rankings, UP President Alfredo Pascual attributed the school’s improved showing to recently implemented academic and institutional changes.
These include more funds for research, improved facilities, greater support for graduate studies and “giving greater incentive for honor graduates to teach in UP.”
