By Ian Zane T. Esparaga | News Writer
Vol. XCI No. 14
Jan. 17, 2020
Silliman University (SU) has been ranked by British education firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) as one of the top universities in Asia based on the firm’s 2020 rankings released last November. The QS World University Rankings have been published since 2009. Key factors in the global rankings are academic reputation, employer reputation and faculty to student ratio.
Silliman is among seven universities in the Philippines that made it to this year’s rankings. The University of the Philippines led the pack at 72nd place in Asia, followed by Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University at 124th and 156th respectively. University of San Carlos (USC) reached the 351st-400th mark, while Silliman was on the 451st to 500th spot. USC and SU are two universities outside of Metro Manila.
There are a total of 550 universities in Asia being ranked, though according to Dr. Madeline Quiamco, former Office of Information and Publications (OIP) Director, who was tasked with the compilation of the QS rankings, there were eight universities who participated from the Philippines. The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University also from Singapore remain the top two universities in Asia respectively.
A set of performance metrics that was tailored for the region was established to determine the rankings. Employer Reputation is one of the major basis of the rankings with Silliman University garnering 30.0%. Based on the previous rankings, SU improved only on the faculty-student ratio and the international faculty index. International research networks, outbound and inbound exchange students, the scientific publications produced by the faculty and the productivity of research institutions mattered. The high-quality teachings and research of the university is being monitored through the number of the university staffs with a doctorate degree. The international students index and the academic reputation of the university was also being observed.
Silliman University Vice President for Development, Jane Annette Belarmino, welcomed the good news. According to her this is a testament of the university’s growth and excellence. “If you look at how many universities there are in the entire Philippines, there are 2,000 universities now”, she added. Current OIP Director Melita Aguilar said that considering the number of higher institutions in Asia, the 451st to 500th was something to be proud of.
