Manila, Philippines – As the world moves towards a more internationalized landscape, there is a growing need to equip students with tools that will help them navigate the rapidly shifting industry space. Through its groundbreaking partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) is rolling out high-tech Global Classrooms to facilitate a borderless learning experience.
As a member of the Mapúa University network of colleges, Mapúa MCL and this partnership are redefining business and health science programs via critical learning pillars.
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) is rolling out high-tech Global Classrooms to facilitate a borderless learning experience. (From L-R: Engr. Anthony Hilmer S. Medrano, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer; Aileen Kate A. Papas, Controller and Assistant Vice-President for Finance; Engr. Maribel G. Songsong, Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Carina Victoria T. Adanza, Assistant Vice-President for Human Resources and Administrative Services; Maria Rhodora R. Austria, Dean, Enrique T. Yuchengco College of Business; Lito E. Suello, Dean, College of Arts and Science; Aloysius Nathaniel S., Senior Vice-President for Finance and Chief Finance Officer; Atty. Maria Eloisa R. Gan, Senior Vice-President for Administrative and Legal; and Dr. Dodjie S. Maestrecampo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao)
ASU is among the Top 1% of universities worldwide, ranked by the Center for World University Rankings for 2022-2023. It is also among the Top 150 Universities Worldwide by Shanghai Ranking, 2022. The latest US News & World Report online program rankings place ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business in the Top 10 in the US, including the no. 1 spot for online bachelor’s in business programs and the online bachelor’s program in psychology in the no. 4 spot.
On the other hand, Mapúa University’s high standard of education has earned for itself a coveted spot among the world’s best schools. “We are delighted to be collaborating with the Mapúa schools, whom we selected as our Philippine champions, because of their long-standing reputation for innovation and academic excellence,” relates Chris Hill, Chief Strategy Officer, and Head of Asia Pacific at Cintana. “The recent ranking of Mapúa as one of the top four Philippine universities, together with UP, Ateneo and LaSalle, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, is clear evidence of the quality of a Mapúan education.”
These credentials and the shared commitment of both academic institutions to transformational education are the backbone on which Mapúa MCL’s new business and health sciences programs are anchored. “Mapua has long been focused on delivering internationalized, digitally-enhanced, outcomes-based, research-driven education to its students. We rely heavily on innovation in realizing these plans. Collaborating with a global university will enable us to elevate these plans further by giving our students greater opportunities to learn,” explains Dodjie Maestrecampo, President & CEO of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mindanao. The ASU-enhanced curriculum remains faithful to the tenets that the Mapúa legacy is built upon. The school of business pushes for global immersion, and real world experiential learning. For health sciences, the focus zeroes in on global readiness, and advanced and immersive facilities. As the world also moves further into a data-driven landscape, digital mastery is made integral to both disciplines.
MAPÚA MALAYAN COLLEGES LAGUNA
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapúa MCL) is one of Mapua’s three major campuses in the Philippines. Located in Cabuyao, Laguna, it first opened its programs to students in 2007. In keeping with the Mapuan legacy of excellence, MMCL has been ranked as among the best board exam performing private schools, and also the first ISO 21001:2018 – EOMS Certified school in the Calabarzon area. The college also holds the distinction of being the youngest school to attain CHED Autonomous status in the country.
One of its most prestigious accolades is a 3-star overall rating from the UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds Star Rating System, considered one of the world’s leading higher education rating systems.
Having grown to a student population of over 6,000, MMCL offers programs in engineering, computer science, information technology, multimedia arts, and HRM, apart from senior high school. In 2022, the Laguna campus also opened up a new post-graduate course, Master of Science in Shipping Business, in collaboration with the Business College of Athens.
As part of the Mapua University network of schools, Mapúa MCL, along with Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, is also a member of the ASU-Cintana Alliance, making it part of a global network of 15 of the most innovative higher education institutions in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Their business and health science programs have been boosted by this collaboration, with students gaining a more globalized and internationalized view to their study. Students who choose the business pathway can choose between bachelor’s degrees in Accountancy, Accounting Information System, Business Administration, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Global Management, Hospitality Management, Marketing and Tourism Management. On the Health Science front, students can choose between Psychology and Biology.
LEARNING VIA GLOBAL CLASSROOMS
One of the key benefits of this partnership that students can expect is the global perspective integrated into their classes. They now have access to ASU’s world class content and ASU-enhanced course programs. Global Signature Courses are offered via state-of-the-art virtual Global Classrooms. Students can engage in online learning experiences co-lectured by ASU faculty in the United States and professors from the ASU-Cintana Alliance universities. These initiatives also allow the students to interact with classmates all over the world, without having to leave the Philippines.
“Our goal is to provide Filipino students with this immersive global educational experience with a top international university and a top Filipino university in a cost-effective manner. Yes, the program will be
affordable,” notes Maestrecampo. Consequently, new programs to be offered in the succeeding years will carry inaugural discounts, keeping them competitive with local universities.
Apart from the Global Classrooms, the ASU-Cintana Alliance also provides students the unique opportunity to participate in student exchange and summer immersion programs with partner schools in the US and other countries.
Now, more than ever, quality education provides the strong foundation of a successful career. The Mapúa University and Mapúa Malayan Colleges strategic collaboration with ASU proves that students are their first priority. Innovations such as the Global Classrooms and Global Signature Courses are a testament to that commitment. Now the future generation of Filipino students could be armed with the knowledge and education to change the world, internationalized, digitally-enhanced, outcomes-based, research-driven education to its students. “We rely heavily on innovation in realizing these plans. Collaborating with a global university will enable us to elevate these plans further by giving our students greater opportunities to learn with Arizona State University, the number one school in the US for innovation, and second in the world for advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” Maestrecampo added.
Now, more than ever, quality education provides the strong foundation of a successful career. The Mapua University and Mapua Malayan Colleges strategic collaboration with ASU proves that students are their first priority. Innovations such as the Global Classrooms and Global Signature Courses are a testament to that commitment. Now the future generation of Filipino students could be armed with the knowledge and education to change the world.
