Pioneering Partnership Between ADMU, UK Univ to Bring World Class Education to Filipinos

Ateneo de Manila University President Jose Ramon T. Villarin, S.J. (right) and Queen Mary University of London President and Principal Professor Colin Bailey sign the Memorandum of Agreement for the first transnational education partnership between ADMU and QMUL. (Stacy Danika Garcia photo)

LONDON 20 July 2018 — The Philippine Embassy in London on 17 July 2018 witnessed representatives from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) ink a pioneering partnership in transnational education (TNE), aimed at offering programs on digital innovation and big data science.

Ambassador to the United Kingdom Antonio Manuel R. Lagdameo said the agreement augurs well for Philippine-British relations. "Education and academic exchange play an important role in fostering collaborative environments and in strengthening people-to-people connections," he said.

President Jose Ramon T. Villarin, SJ and Vice President for University and Global Relations Jose M. Cruz, SJ of ADMU, and President and Principal Professor Colin Bailey and Vice-Principal (International) Colin B. Grant of QMUL signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the joint development of programs, which aims to equip students with the skills needed to compete in a global workplace.

Third Secretary and Vice Consul Stacy Danika S. Alcantara-Garcia witnessed the signing ceremony on behalf of the Embassy.

“This partnership will build another bridge between our two peoples. I am hopeful that this exchange is more than just people moving but ideas, resources, exchanging and enriching one another,” Villarin said.  

The MSc Innovation through Media and Arts Technology (IMAT) will be the first program to be launched under the QMUL-ADMU partnership.  

The said program aims to develop students who will be able to contribute significantly to the global creative economy. The program is designed to bring together the arts, design, and technology, equipping students with advanced technical and creative skills that will enable them to apply digital innovation skills to traditional craft and design.

Meanwhile, the MSc Data Science (Big Data) aims to teach students how to draw meaning from of large datasets.

The MSc Innovation through Media and Arts Technology (IMAT) is slated to be launched sometime next year, while the MSc Data Science (Big Data) is currently on its development phase.

“It’s a game-changer. Queen Mary University of London, one of the world’s finest universities is engaging with one of the top universities in the Philippines around some very exciting programmes that will help drive prosperity for next generation leaders in the Philippines in the creative industry and in big data,” Grant said.

The TNE programs that will be offered by ADMU and QMUL seek to promote inclusivity and accessibility to world-class higher education, as students will be able to gain global expertise from some of the world’s leading experts while remaining in their own country.

The partnership is funded by the Commission on Higher Education, in collaboration with the British Council.

The ADMU-QMUL partnership is part of a network of CHED and British Council initiatives aimed at forging strong links between top Philippine and British universities.

Partnerships and programs focused on priority areas such as disaster management, agriculture, and developing sustainable food systems are currently being developed. END

For more information, visit www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/pg/PHLinUK

 and @philippinesinuk on Twitter.