(Manila, Philippines) As the world moves towards a more internationalized landscape, there is a growing need to equip students with the tools they will need to navigate the rapidly shifting industry space. Through its groundbreaking partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MCM) is rolling out high-tech Global Classrooms to facilitate a borderless learning experience. As a member of the Mapúa University network of colleges, Mapúa MCM and this partnership are redefining business and health science programs via its critical learning pillars.
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 MCM’s new business and health sciences programs are anchored. “Mapúa 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 MINDANAO
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM), located in Davao City, is one of Mapúa’s three major campuses in the Philippines. Since it first opened in 2018, the student body has already grown to over 5,000-strong. Mapúa MCM offers a broad spectrum of programs, including arts and science, computer and information science, health sciences, business, and engineering and architecture. The campus also offers junior and senior high school. Mapúa MCM’s location in the Southernmost part of the Philippines also helps ensure that students in that region will have access to an exemplary learning experience.
As the CoVid pandemic redefined the way classes are conducted, Mapúa MCM proved itself as ahead of the pack when it came to its innovative approach to Hyflex learning. This earned them the prestigious Catalyst Award for Teaching and Learning, awarded by leading EdTech company Anthology. As part of the Mapúa University network of schools, Mapúa MCM, along with Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, 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, Management Accounting, Tourism Management, and Entrepreneurship. On the Health Science front, students can choose between Psychology, Biology, and Pharmacy.
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 and Cintana 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.