MAPÚA Malayan Colleges Mindanao aims to bring global capability closer to Mindanao learners, with the comprehensive academic partnership with Arizona State University (ASU).
MMCM and ASU formalize their comprehensive academic partnership on Thursday, May 7, at Dusit Thani Residence Davao, launching global education opportunities for Filipino students, especially from Mindanao.
Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, president and CEO of Mapua University and Paul Tan, senior vice president for Southeast Asia of Cintana Education, marked the partnership through a signing ceremony.
From 2022 to 2025, the partnership initially focused on business and health science across the three Mapua schools, and the initial phase delivered measurable results such as accelerated enrollment growth.
“Because these results were tangible, we are now ready to expand across the entire Mapua education group across programs, disciplines, and learner segments. So today, we signal that expansion through this formal launch here in Davao,” he said in his welcome message.
The expanded collaboration is built around seven strategic pillars: AI-enabled education, sustainability leadership through a Green College, fully online and borderless learning, research exchange, employability and micro-credentials, internationalization, and new program development.
Maestrecampo said the collaboration allows for integration of world-class academic content, international learning pathways, AI-enabled education, research exchange, and faculty development in program areas: business, health sciences, engineering/technology and general education.
“When we chose Arizona State University, we did not look for a partner for symbolism. We looked for alignment in ambition, in execution, and in impact,” Maestrecampo said, adding that the choice of ASU as a partner was deliberate.
On the curriculum, students will benefit from ASU-developed course content benchmarked against global standards, as well as lectures delivered directly by ASU professors through global classroom sessions.
Students may pursue dual degree programs or pair their local undergraduate degree with an ASU master’s degree — either by studying in the United States or through ASU Online.
Engr. Alejandro H. Ballado Jr. MMCM executive vice president and CEO said the credentials the students get from the expanded partnership will prepare them for employability.
“Credentials that are available through this expanded partnership will not only be recognized nationally but globally,” Ballado said during the media briefing.
“By the time our students graduate, numerous employers not only locally but abroad are lining up to secure interviews for our graduates. That’s our goal,” he added.
Humanities, arts, and liberal arts programs were also confirmed to be included, as all five colleges at Mapúa MCM would have equal access to global classroom and mobility programs.
ASU has been ranked No. 1 in the United States for innovation by the U.S. News & World Report for 11 consecutive years and No. 1 in the U.S. f and 10th worldwide for global impact in research, outreach and stewardship.
Tan said the collaboration centers on “accessibility”, making high quality education accessible to the people, which is also the vision of Mapua as well.
“Beyond that, for us, very importantly, a key criteria is really the quality aspect. For us, we have zero doubt at all when we look at ranking, when we look at accreditation, that Mapua is a very serious university when it comes to quality,” he said.
“For us, it is alignment of vision, the quality, and also the impact that Mapua would like to create for the people of the Philippines, very much aligned with what we want to do,” Tan added.
Dr. Christopher Pio Pulido, supervising education program specialist of the Commission on Higher Education–Davao (CHED-11), said the academic partnership opens opportunities for students in Mindanao to access globally aligned learning and innovation-driven academic experiences for a future-ready workforce.
