Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University’s (PSAU) envoy showed the extent of his institution’s proposal to Cebu Technological University at the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia Education Summit in Hong Kong that culminated yesterday.
CTU’s presence at the event not only managed to layer its footprint onto a major tapestry of global academic and industry leaders but also secured one of its most promising Saudi Arabian partner in 2026 and onwards, said the Internationalization and ASEAN Integration (IAI) director Dr. Rhodora Magan who flew last Tuesday to join the three-day conference.
PSAU Director for Rankings, Strategy and Institutional Advancement elucidated his success stories with other institutions, which he is planning to do with CTU. Following the expression of mutual interest, as reflected in the Letter of Intent, between the institutions, Prof. Dr. Abdul Elias promised Dr. Magan a mobility opportunity for select CTU students to join another THE event in June (with PSAU as one of the major sponsors), covering airfare, meals and accommodation.
Moreover, he assured that once the agreement is signed within the year, the fully funded advanced studies in Saudi Arabia for CTU applicants will also be greenlighted.
Both representatives are on the same page when it comes to rankings, added Dr. Magan, and that the aforesaid plan could very well augment CTU’s position.
She also mentioned that while PSAU is relishing its THE rank, Dr. Elias’ argument has always been about scaling higher, with particular regard for institutions whose financial resources are not as much.
Throughout the event participants were in multiple networking sessions that aided forging and sustaining of linkages toward research initiatives, apart from mobility pathways.
The IAI director also took advantage of the platform to reconnect with CTU’s active partners (i.e. O.P. Jindal Global University and Oman College of Health Sciences) who showed up at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)—THE’s co-organizer.
She also met with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) delegation to follow up on the negotiation done at a QS event in South Korea last year. Another well-funded institution, UAEU is currently sitting at #5 in the Arab region (per QS 2025 & rankings).
CTU’s visibility at global events is a priority, as powerful statement on the university’s serious attitude toward innovation can gradually take shape, she added./IAI
