MSU-Iligan joins QS list of top universities in Asia

ILIGAN CITY: The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) joined the roster of top Asian universities by United Kingdom-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). 

MSU-IIT placed in the 451-500 bracket along with Dumaguete's Silliman University, which fell from the 35-400 bracket in the 2018 rankings. 

Meanwhile, the university expressed its gratitude for being considered as one of the Top 500 universities in Asia. 

"I am happy, proud, humbled, and challenged to do more for MSU-IIT," Dr. Sukarno Tanggol, chancellor of MSU-IIT, told GMA News Online. 

"We are thankful to QS for considering us for the first time for evaluation as an autonomous campus, treated separately from the MSU System," Tanggol added. 

Recently, MSU-IIT graduate Dahr Tur Madayan Silao topped the country's Metallurgical Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). 

Five other MSU-IIT graduates made it to the top ten, namely, Angelica Barrios Alvizo, Glide Manzano Espina, Jerald Mark Maregmen Gestupa, Aljon Rey Alejandre Lagayada, and Yanno-Ray Montecillo Cahiles. 

The University of the Philippines still led the country's universities in the rankings, rising three notches to 72nd place. 

It was followed by the Ateneo de Manila University at 115th spot (down from 95th place), De La Salle University at 155th (down from 134th place), and University of Santo Tomas at 162nd (down from 145th). 

University of San Carlos and Mapua University trailed, retaining their positions at 301-350 and 401-450, respectively. 

The National University of Singapore regained the top spot in the region after falling to second place last year. It was followed by University of Hong Kong at second spot and Nanyang Technological University-Singapore and Tsinghua University both at third place. 

Rounding up the top ten were Peking University, Fudan University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Seoul National University. 

The rankings are based on universities' academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international research network, citations per paper, papers per faculty, staff with doctorate degrees, international faculty, international students, inbound exchange, and outbound exchange. - With reports from agencies/RSP