Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) today launches its partnership with Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) in the Philippines, demonstrating its commitment to build on existing and establish new links in South-East Asia.
The partnership, which is funded by the Philippines Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in collaboration with the British Council, will see the joint development of transnational education (TNE) programmes that focus on digital innovation and big data science, both ‘priority’ areas identified by the Philippine government.
TNE is a rapidly growing area that promotes inclusivity and widens access to higher education: students can gain from global expertise and adapt to international standards while remaining in their own country.
Commenting on the partnership, QMUL President and Principal, Professor Colin Bailey said: “I am delighted that Queen Mary University of London will be deepening its relationship with Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), one of the top universities in the Philippines. This partnership supports our plans to diversify Queen Mary’s international partnerships activity and signifies our growing links in the ASEAN region.
“The programmes that we are developing with AdMU will equip students with the digital skills they need to navigate a more knowledge-based global economy.”
Vice President of AdMU, Jose M. Cruz, SJ, added: “The QMUL partnership is not only founded on a commitment to academic excellence in emerging fields. It is more importantly grounded on similar ethos of service and inclusive development. With a shared vision, we bring together the strengths of these two institutions to help students become groundbreakers and thought leaders of the digital age.”
The QMUL-AdMU partnership aims to equip students in the Philippines with the skills they need for the global workplace. The MSc Innovation through Media and Arts Technology (IMAT) will be the first programme to launch and will seek to produce post-graduates who combine world-class technical and creative skills. The MSc Data Science (Big Data), which is still in development, aims to teach students about new ways to extract meaning from large datasets.
Dr Nick Bryan-Kinns from QMUL, who is leading the partnership and presenting at the launch, said: “Students will be able to contribute to the global creative economy through a programme brings together the arts, design and technology. The partnership is designed to be culturally-relevant to the Philippines, meaning that students will apply new digital innovation skills to more traditional craft and design.
“I’m excited to collaborate with Ateneo de Manila University and to explore the ways in which we can innovate in the South-East Asia region together. For example, how to innovate from different traditions, exploring the use of apps across the world and how we engage with different forms of social media.”
The partnership forms part of a wider British Council and CHED initiative to forge links and boost internationalisation between the top universities in the Philippines and the UK. Priority areas identified by CHED also include disaster risk management, agriculture and developing sustainable food systems. Other Russell Group universities in the partnership include Newcastle University, the University of Leeds and the University of Liverpool.
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Find out more about QMUL's international partnerships
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