Ashoka University ramps up Cebu Technological University’s campaign in India, complementing its long-standing alliance with one of the subcontinent’s higher education heavyweights, O.P. Jindal Global University (OPJGU).
The accord signing in November will mark the first official meeting between Ashoka University and CTU President Dr. Joseph Pepito in India. As part of the same visit, Dr. Pepito will also engage with OPJGU—CTU’s most established Indian partner—underscoring the university’s dual-track strategy: reinforcing trusted partnerships while activating new strategic nodes.
CTU’s expanding footprint across the subcontinent is expected to feature joint degree programs, collaborative research, and faculty-student exchanges, all aligned with CTU’s Southeast Asian posture and broader Indo-Pacific agenda.
Ashoka’s Office of Global Education manager Shubhi Yadav first floated the idea in a September discussion with CTU Director of Internationalization and ASEAN Integration (IAI) Director Dr. Rhodora Magan. Yadav expressed a strong vision—one that quickly gained traction—for CTU’s role in complementing Ashoka’s global direction.
The groundwork was laid during Dr. Magan’s first term as IAI Director (2022–2023), when Yadav—then with OPJGU—accompanied Jindal students on an academic visit to CTU. Now positioned at Ashoka, Yadav brings deeper influence to realize the vision sparked during earlier exchanges.
“This is more than a deal; it’s a strategic alliance grounded in shared goals,” said Dr. Magan, in a statement to ICPA.
Located in Sonipat, Haryana, Ashoka is widely recognized as a Tier 1 institution in India—ranked No. 1 nationally by the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) and listed in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. Its academic strengths span Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics, Finance, and Biosciences, and its model is built on rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research.
CTU’s pivot east is informed by both present global dynamics and deep historical ties connecting India with Southeast Asia—and particularly, the Philippines.
India is now the linchpin of CTU’s Indo-Pacific strategy. With a powerful demographic engine, a rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem, and strategic geography that bridges South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, India offers opportunities few other regions can. /Internationalization and ASEAN Integration
Photo source: www.ashoka.edu.in