iPeople, the publicly listed Yuchengco-Ayala education partnership introduced, on February 20, 2023, the first of its kind offering that enables Filipino students to immerse themselves in global educational experiences with top international universities and a top Philippine university in a highly cost-effective manner.
Last year, iPeople school, Mapúa University and its daughter schools, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao entered a collaboration focused on its Business and Health Sciences programs with Arizona State University (ASU), which has been ranked as America’s most innovative university, ahead of Stanford and MIT, over the past 8 years. In the latest US News & World Report online program rankings, ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business ranked Top 10 in the US across 8 programs and disciplines, including the #1 spot for online bachelor’s in business programs, while ASU’s online bachelor’s program in psychology was ranked #4.
Through this collaboration, the Mapúa schools also became members of the ASU-Cintana Alliance, a global network of 15 of the most innovative higher education institutions in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
"We are delighted to be collaborating with the Mapúa schools, whom we selected as our Philippine champions, because of their long-standing reputation for innovation and academic excellence. The recent ranking of Mapúa as one of the top 4 Philippine universities, together with UP, Ateneo, and La Salle in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings is clear evidence of the quality of a Mapúan education," said Chris Hill, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Asia Pacific at Cintana.
"We have long been focused on delivering the hallmarks of a Mapúan education: international, digitally enhanced, outcomes-based, and research-driven. Our collaboration with global leader, ASU and being part of the ASU-Cintana Alliance enable us to take these to a higher level for our students, by giving them numerous opportunities to learn with a top ranked US university, and other leading education institutions around the world," added Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, President of Mapúa University and Chairman of iPeople.
At a press conference held in Mapúa’s Makati campus, the collaborating schools introduced several ground-breaking offerings such as giving students the opportunity to be immersed in international learning experiences. Firstly, they have access to ASU’s world-class content in all their ASU-enhanced courses. Secondly, students can join Global Signature Courses through the state-of-the-art virtual Global Classrooms. This will give them the opportunity to learn remotely from professors at member universities of the ASU-Cintana Alliance, including ASU faculty in the US, and interact with classmates from around the world. Lastly, students will have many opportunities to participate in student exchange and summer immersion programs at ASU-Cintana Alliance schools.
According to Lorenzo V. Tan, the CEO of House of Investments, the listed holding company of YGC (Yuchengco Group of Companies) and the majority shareholder of iPeople, "YGC has long prioritized education as one of our contributions to nation building. It is very timely that our Mapúa schools are launching this very innovative and global initiative as we celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of our past Chairman, Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco, who had always advocated for making quality education more affordable for Filipinos and had forged many successful partnerships with industry leaders from around the world."
"This initiative will allow young people access to education that, while Philippine-centered, is also global in quality and reach. We want to help develop a generation of truly global Filipinos because our country deserves the best the world has to offer," added Cezar P. Consing, the CEO of Ayala Corporation.