PH universities in academic world rankings

THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE WUR) for 2023 have recognized 10 Philippine universities in the global rankings. This is the largest number of Philippine higher educational institutions (HEIs) appearing on the annual global list since it started 19 editions ago. The 2023 edition includes 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions, making it the largest and most diverse university rankings to date.

Four Philippine HEIs officially ranked in this year’s THE WUR, including Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and Mapua University (Mapua), which debuted on the world list alongside the previously ranked state-run University of the Philippines (UP) and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Six universities from the Philippines appear for the first time as Reporter institutions, a status first introduced last year as the mark for HEIs that provided data but did not meet the eligibility criteria to receive a rank.

The universities featured in the THE World University Rankings 2023 report were ranked based on 13 performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five pillars: teaching (30 percent); research (30 percent); citations (30 percent); industry income (7.5 percent); and international outlook (2.5 percent).

Ateneo de Manila University is ranked at 301-400. It has an overall score of 45.0-46.9 with its highest score at 97 in citations, a measure for the institution’s “role in spreading new knowledge and ideas” and “how much each university is contributing to the sum of human knowledge.” Ateneo also leads the Philippines’ 2022 THE Impact Rankings of institutions contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The University of the Philippines slipped to 801-1,000, taking the second spot among the four Philippine universities that made it to the list. The premier state university has an overall score of 29.8-33.9 with the highest score of 62.5 in citations, an indicator of research influence.

Third was De La Salle University at 1,201-1,500. It has an overall score of 18.4–24.3 with its highest score of 36.9 in the industry income criterion which checks a university’s ability to help industry with innovations, inventions and consultancy, and looks at how much research income an institution earns from industry (adjusted for PPP), scaled against the number of academic staff it employs. DLSU is the top university in business and economics on THE WUR.

Newbie Mapua University barged into the rankings at 1,501 plus. Mapua debuts on the global list in fourth place. It has an overall score of 10.4-18.3. Its highest score of 36.9 is in the industry income criterion. Mapua is also on THE WUR Impact Rankings.

THE WUR Reporter Institutions from the Philippines are Cebu Technological University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, University of Santo Tomas, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Tarlac Agricultural University, and Visayas State University.

How can the Philippines boost its rankings, which are lower than the universities in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand? First, it has to increase teachers’ pay and lure back the expatriates who are now teaching overseas. Top teachers and expats already have considerable research profiles. Second, it has to increase research funds for its teachers, or have more industry partners who could fund research chairs for the faculty.

Third, it has to increase its enrollment of international students. Philippine universities can initiate educational exchanges with Asean universities; universities like Ateneo could have the same with their Jesuit universities in Asia and the United States. Fourth, more partnerships and collaborations should be done between academe and industry to set up more buildings, classrooms and laboratories.

And lastly, one big untapped potential is the alumni, many of whom are willing to set up scholarships and fund research when asked to do so by a vigilant alumni office. The problem in our universities is systemic, and only a comprehensive systemic approach can boost our dismal ratings in the academic rankings.