- September 1, 2024
World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) recognizes Mapúa MCL for Integrated Advising for Student-Centered Enrichment and Development (I-ASCEND)
The Global Conference of the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) was held last September 24 to 26, 2024 hosted by aSSIST University in Seoul, South Korea. It was well-attended by at least 50 universities from all over the world who made it to the 2024 WURI that was released last June. A good number of representatives from the Philippines attended the conference.
Assistant Vice President for External Relations and Global Linkages Prof. James Ronald O. Mesina attended the conference to present the best practice of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapúa MCL) on the implementation of the Integrated Advising for Student-Centered Enrichment and Development (I-ASCEND) which made it for Mapúa MCL to be ranked 91 in the Category A1: Student Support and Engagement, and 84 in Category B1: Leadership. The I-ASCEND program was spearheaded by the Student Affairs Office (SAO), led by its former Head for Student Advising, and now Cluster Chair of the Social Sciences under the College of Arts and Science, Prof. Christie Amores.
The highlights of the presentation include data sets from Academic Year 2018-2019 when the program was rolled out, until 2022 when it was evaluated. It presents how an IT-enabled program is integrated to the advising framework of the institution to cater to the various needs of the students from academic advising, life coaching, psycho-social support, and career development advising.
Prof. Mesina received the recognition of Mapúa MCL from WURI as leader and expert in innovation. In a statement, he mentioned that “WURI is part of Mapúa MCL’s internationalization efforts and a parcel of its commitment to outcomes-based education where advising and guidance for student success are very crucial.”
“The WURI Global Conference is also a strategic initiative for us to continuously set our footprint in the global and regional arenas, sharing our simple but innovative ways of supporting teaching and learning,” Prof. Mesina added. “It was also a nice experience to share the stage with Mapúa University and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao who also made it to WURI 2024. The Global Conference also provided an opportunity for us to connect with internationalization leaders and changemakers in higher education.”
Mapúa MCL is preparing for another milestone as WURI 2025 submission concludes before the end of this year, and is gearing up to conquer other areas of the ranking with the support of the champions from the different colleges and departments.
Potential International collaborators and strategic partners may get in touch with the Office for External Relations and Global Linkages (ERGL) through email: [email protected] to discuss opportunities for student and faculty mobility, research, and exchange programs.
