In what can be called a significant step toward strengthening international engagement, Cebu Technological University (CTU) has been formally accepted into the AppliedHE Leaders in Education Club (App.LE Club).
This membership places CTU within a select and forward-looking network of higher education leaders across Asia, giving the university strategic exposure to evolving global quality frameworks and emerging ranking methodologies.
As part of the App.LE Club, CTU gains access to exclusive benefits designed to build institutional readiness and leadership capacity, including participation in high-level networking events, online forums, and discussion groups; professional development workshops, webinars, and seminars; and access to research, case studies, and white papers on transformative higher education practices.
The subscription comes at an opportune moment, especially following the recent acquaintance of CTU’s AI Director with AppliedHE Xchange CEO Mandy Mok, which has further sensitized CTU to the emerging expectations of the AppliedHE ecosystem—especially the kind of data quality, institutional agility, and strategic positioning required to meaningfully participate in future ranking initiatives.
CTU’s presence within the broader AppliedHE community was further strengthened during its engagement in the AppliedHE Xchange platform, where university leaders, ranking specialists, and higher education experts from across the region convened to define Asia’s next generation of ranking metrics.
Representing CTU were Dr. Rhodora Magan, Dr. Meralei Lawas, and Dr. Janafin Almerino, who participated in discussions that offered the university clearer insight into the regional direction of quality assurance. At the center of these discussions was the introduction of the ALL ASIA Public & Private University Rankings 2026—Asia’s first evaluation system that benchmarks public and private universities separately while placing student experience at the center.
Unlike traditional global league tables, the ALL ASIA rankings distinguish themselves through the explicit incorporation of student and alumni feedback into their evaluation model. Although CTU is not yet part of these rankings, its App.LE Club membership ensures that the university is now better informed and strategically positioned as it considers future participation.
During the Xchange sessions, Dr. Lawas presented a country report on the integration of AI in Philippine higher education, highlighting CTU as a microcosm of national adaptation. It demonstrated how CTU is navigating academic innovation and governance in an era shaped by artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Dr. Magan’s participation in the debate on the motion “Rankings are poisonous” opened a space for honest reflection on how ranking systems influence institutional behavior. Her perspective invited attendees to consider both the benefits and pressures associated with ranking participation.
Participants also collaborated on drafting a regional declaration on fair and future-ready ranking metrics. Dr. Magan contributed to shaping the equitable metrics.
On the final day, the workshop emphasized the importance of high-quality institutional data, particularly in AI-supported evaluation environments. For CTU, this highlighted the internal systems and structures that must be strengthened should the university choose to enter the rankings in the coming years.
The University’s App.LE Club membership marks the beginning of a well-informed trajectory, as it plans to engage in the most student-centered ranking ecosystem, by far. /Internationalization and ASEAN Integration
