Adamson University One of Asia's Finest
Date Posted: June 2, 2011 at 03:40 AM
by Raul D. Agner
There’s enough proof of Adamson University’s quality education but a new distinction has further substantiated that fact.
The recent result of a survey conducted by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) shows that Adamson is one of 15 Philippine universities included in its 2011 List of Top Asian Universities. Adamson was included in the QS Top 200+ Universities in Asia, ranking 201+ out of more than 7,000 Asian universities and colleges. QS is the world’s leading network for top careers and education.
From its data-gathering of over a period of two years, the country’s top 15 universities according to QS are Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, Central Mindanao State University, De La Salle University, Father Saturnino Urios College, Mapúa Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Silliman University, St. Louis University, University of the Philippines, University of San Carlos, University of Santo Tomas, University of Southeastern Philippines and Xavier University.
From the same survey, the top four Philippine universities are the University of the Philippines (with its 62nd rank in Asia), followed by the Ateneo de Manila University (68th), University of Santo Tomas (104th) and De La Salle University (107th). The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology emerged as the top university in Asia.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a company specializing in education and study abroad. It was founded in 1990 by Wharton School MBA graduate Nunzio Quacquarelli. QS provides services for undergraduates, graduates, Masters, PhDs, MBA, and EMBA candidates. It offers publications and events to broaden the scope of study abroad.
Asked to comment on the University’s inclusion, University President Fr. Gregg L. Bañaga, Jr., C.M. stated, “I was surprised about the QS survey when it came out in the papers. Nobody interviewed me nor were data requested from the university as far as I know. We did not even know there was such a survey being done. So I am not aware of the criteria or bases for the ranking. It came as a total surprise.”
“However, if that is how others rate our university, then there must be something here that they see. Personally, I think this will inspire us even more to strive for excellence and quality and to be more faithful to our vision and mission. We cannot afford to slow down. We have to build from our strengths and soar higher. ‘Soaring Higher from Strength to Strength’ was the theme of our General Assembly this year. Another feather to our cap is a testament to our collective vision, synchronized efforts and unwavering dedication.”
QS listed their criteria as Academic Peer Review, Employer Review, Citations per Faculty, Student Faculty, International Faculty, International Students, and Citations per Paper. The methodology included Asian University Rankings vs. World University Rankings, Academic Peer Review (index), Recruiter Review, Student Faculty Ratio, Bibliometrics – Papers per Faculty and Citations per Paper, and Methodology: International Factors. “QS sources data not only directly from institutions themselves but also from government ministries, agencies such as Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), web sources and other third-parties; where possible data are checked against multiple sources to verify their,” QS says in its website.
Adamson University is a 79-year-old institution run by the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers. It has been consistently topping licensure exams and was granted Autonomous Status on June 10, 2010 and Institutional Quality Assurance through Monitoring and Evaluation (IQuAME) Certificate on May 26, 2010 by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines. With an average yearly enrolment of 15,500, it graduates an average of 1,500 students per year.
