ZAMBOANGA CITY, June 14 (PIA) -- Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing the 33rd position in the prestigious Top 50- Fourth Industrial Revolution category of the World's Universities Ranking for Innovation (WURI) 2023 ranking system.
In addition to this achievement, WMSU was also recognized in the 101-200 percentile of the Global Top Innovative Universities. These accolades were announced during the 3rd Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU) Conference hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida, USA, on May 17, 2023.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner and Chairperson-Designate of the WMSU Board of Regents, Hon. Aldrin A. Darilag, personally attended the said conference.
The specific category in which WMSU excelled, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, acknowledges the university's ability to embrace new technologies and leverage them to enhance its educational programs. The university's entry, titled "SMART Research University: WMSU’s Framework for Innovation in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond," showcased their strategic approach to navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and their vision for the future. Moreover, WMSU highlighted its entry prominently during the WURI Poster Session.
“I am delighted at the progress we are making towards our goal of becoming a SMART Research University,” said WMSU President Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena. “The WURI recognition solidifies our position as an innovative research university with international standards for academic excellence.”
Dr. Mario R. Obra, Jr., WMSU Director for International Relations Office & External Linkages and Concurrent Director of the Quality Management Office expressed that, “with the university's outstanding accomplishment in the WURI 2023 rankings, WMSU is poised to attain global prominence as a premier ASEAN Higher Education Institution.”
The WURI ranking system was established in 2019. It seeks to highlight the projects pursued by forward-thinking institutions that contribute to societal progress across six categories: Industrial Application, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Ethical Value, Student Mobility and Openness, Crisis Management, and Fourth Industrial Revolution. Each of these categories is assessed using three key criteria: Innovativeness, Implementability, and Impact.
The innovativeness criterion assesses the program's content or the institution's process in making their program more effective. The implementability criterion evaluates the feasibility of the program, considering costs and benefits. The impact criterion analyzes the scope and intensity of the program, taking into account whether the impact is limited to a specific department or widespread across the entire university.
The WURI is organized by the Institute for Policy & Strategy on National Competitiveness (IPSNC) and co-hosted by four esteemed organizations: the Hanseatic League of Universities (HLU), the Institute for Industrial Policies Studies Switzerland (IPS-Switzerland), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Tailor Institute at Franklin University Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland. (RVC/CCP/PIA9 with reports and photo from WMSU)
