On the first day, the participants, composed of academic officials, administrators and process owners, listened to Ong’s lecture on introduction to and high-level overview of the QS Stars Rating system. This was followed by Flores’s detailed discussion of the QS Stars Criteria. BukSU QS Stars Coordinator Dr. Elle Christine Melendez led the BukSU participants in completing a self-assessment of the university’s strengths and weaknesses as part of the initial workshop activity.

Ong shared UST’s QS Stars Rating challenges and successes for the three cycles of 2014, 2017 and 2021. He also shared the University’s best practices even during the pandemic. Ong discussed the five case scenarios for the participants to fully understand how the QS Stars Rating works, especially from the perspective of the process owners, who need to meet the various criteria and the attendant thresholds, as well as its justification in the validation stages.

On the second day of the lecture-workshop, Ong focused on the Simplified Map Day Process and its deliverables. Related to it is Walk Day 1 Rev 0.  He defined Map Day as a process for planning new projects and that which requires the integration of plans from multiple players or groups. It allows project team members to test assumptions, clarify expectations, and build commitment. Ong emphasized that Map Day helps clarify who needs to deliver what to whom and when, what to agree and disagree on, and decisions and/or issues that need early resolution. This will cover the risk assessment as well as the institution’s decision for “Go or no Go” decision.

The invitation was extended by BukSU President Oscar B. Cabanelez, Ph.D., through the UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, OP, PhD, who immediately approved the request. It is a way for UST to share its best practices with other universities and aid them in their journey of being updated on emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in education.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) was awarded the overall rating of Four Stars by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Stars team from London in two cycles, 2014 and 2017. This was the highest rating given to a Philippine University by QS. Consequently, UST set a benchmark international ratings among Philippine HEIs, several of whom have sought to know UST’s best practices in rankings and ratings.  

UST eventually bested its own previous record by becoming the first in the Philippines to obtain the coveted Five Stars Rating for UST, the penultimate rank in the six-tier system adopted by QS in its third review cycle of QS Stars Rating application.

The lecture-workshop is not the first engagement between UST and BukSU. The UST Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics has partnered with BukSu in its cultural heritage mapping activity. Likewise, the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters Dean Prof. Marilu R. Madrunio, PhD, served as the external adviser for BukSu’s doctorate program in the English Language Studies.

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You may register for the event using the QR code or watch via Facebook live on ODISSEA Philippines’s Facebook page.

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The research entitled “Detection of blaOXA-23, and blaNDM-1, from Multidrug-Resistant Enterobacter cloacae Isolated from Soil in Vegetable Farms of Different Altitude in the Philippines” acknowledged the problems posed by unregulated farming to farmers and consumers. In particular, the consumption of uncooked fresh vegetables “can increase the transmission of resistant bacteria from the environment to humans.” Thus, the study focused “on the detection and identification of blaOXA23 and blaNDM-1 from Enterobacter cloacae isolated from farm soil.” According to the paper’s abstract, “identifying bacteria from farm soil up to species level and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was made using the VITEK® 2 system. The identified bacterial isolates that showed a multidrug-resistance profile were then further tested genotypically. Conventional PCR and Capillary sequencing were then employed to detect blaOXA-23 and blaNDM-1 from MDR bacterial strains. “

The study was able to confirm the presence of bacteria from soil samples in Baguio and Nueva Ecija, and the researchers recommend further studies on other antimicrobial resistance genes (AGR).

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The study, entitled “Isolation and Affinity Purification of Peptide Analog of In Silico of Zika Virus,” utilized IgY technology, “a cost-effective, high antibody yield, and animal-friendly technology [in which] antibodies are harvested from egg yolks of chickens immunized with known antigens.” The researchers produced IgY specifically raised against in silico predicted unique immunogenic epitope of Zika NS1 antigen, which may be used in the development of a Zika virus-specific serological test.

The UST researchers joined Prof. Leslie Michelle Dalmacio and Asst. Prof. Laarni Grace Corales of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, and funding was secured from the UP National Institutes of Health.

The present study gave UST its back-to-back win in the said category.

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The orientation activity, facilitated by Rev. fr. Stephen Redillas, O.P., Senior Consultant for Information and Communications Technology of UST, brought to the fore the Blackboard and digital learning endeavors happening at the University of Santo Tomas – Manila, for possible adoption by the DPP schools.

According to Rev. fr. Winston F. Cabading, O.P., SThL-MA, Assistant to the Rector for Information and Communications Technology, “we are offering our expertise to our sister schools in the DPP in jumpstarting their e-learning initiatives.” Recognizing that the schools are at different stages of technology integration, fr. Cabading said that UST “will guide and provide training where needed to the schools” so they can maximize the potentials of digital learning.

During the session, Educational Technology Center Director , MSc presented in greater detail UST’s experience in using the Blackboard Learning Management System, which from 2002-2018 gave the University the e-Learning Access Program (e-LeAP) and since 2018 has given rise to the UST Cloud Campus. This made UST the pioneer institution in massive-wide e-Learning adoption in the Philippines.

The DPP schools represented were the University of Santo Tomas – Manila, University of Santo Tomas Angelicum College – Quezon City, University of Santo Tomas – Legazpi, Albay, Colegio de San Juan de Letran – Calamba, Laguna; Intramuros – Manila; Bataan; and Manaoag, Pangasinan; and Lyceum of Camiguin.

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Christmas isn’t Christmas without music’

In 2016, the UST Museum added Christmas concerts to its yearly exhibition to further set the Christmas mood; the music complimented the artworks made by young Thomasian Artists from the College of Fine Arts and Design installed at the gallery.

“Even the story of Christmas in the Gospel of St. Luke started with music: the angels came down from heaven and they sang Glory to God in the highest,” UST Museum Director Rev. fr. Isidro C. Abano, O.P., SThL-MA said.

The Christmaseum exhibit can be view until January 3, 2019.

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CODITE-NCR was established on August 31, 2016 with the help and support of the Commission on Higher Education. The council aims to create a network of educational institutions offering information technology education so that these institutions can share best practices, provide quality assurance, assist members in attaining accreditation status, and promote a culture of excellence. At present, the council has forty member-schools.

UST’s Institute of Information and Computing Sciences was established in 2014, after its spinoff from the . IICS offers three degree programs: , , and . All three programs have been given the Center of Development status by the Commission on Higher Education.

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The Registrar’s Office of UST Angelicum College met with their UST Manila counterparts on October 2, 2019. In line with the UST Manila and UST Angelicum College’s integration, the latter was directed to align applicable practices and policies with that of the former.

Thus, headed by its Registrar, Ms. Genny Q. Nazal, they were able able to learn more about the UST Office of the Registrar’s records management, data privacy policy, credential-related policies and the functionality of the online system. The UST Angelicum College group was welcomed by Asst. Prof. Melanie D. Turingan, PhD, Assistant Registrar; Mr. Reynaldo H. Isidro, Academic Supervisor; Mr. Edwin G. Tababa, Records Supervisor; and Mr. Ferwin C. Jimenez, ICT Supervisor.

Meanwhile, on October 24, 2019, the UST Office of the Registrar was visited by the Mendiola Consortium (MC), an educational organization composed of Centro Escolar University (CEU), College of the Holy Spirit Manila (CHSM), San Beda University (SBU), La Consolacion College Manila (LCCM), and Saint Jude Catholic School (SJCS). With the organization’s thrust of “Journeying Together as Partners in the Mission of Education: Addressing the Challenges of Present-Day Learners”, the Registrar’s Committee had their benchmarking with the University of Santo Tomas to learn more about the best practices on Records Management particularly, digitization, storage, and filing system.

The MC Registrars Ms. Maria Oliva S. Reyes (San Beda University), Ms. Rhoda S. Aguilar (Centro Escolar University), Ms. Digna C. Pagapong (Saint Jude Catholic School), and representatives from the Registrar’s Officce of La Consolacion College, and College of the Holy Spirit Manila were welcomed by the University Registrar, Mr. Cesar M. Velasco, Jr., Asst. Prof. Melanie D. Turingan, PhD (Assistant Registrar), Mr. Reynaldo H. Isidro (Academic Supervisor), and Mr. Ferwin C. Jimenez (ICT Supervisor).

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CRS has had sustained internationalization efforts for all its four degree programs–,  (accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy), , and . Student exchanges (both inbound and outbound) are complemented with faculty members receiving degrees and training abroad. The College likewise receives foreign guests from academic institutions for benchmarking and exploration of possible bilateral ties.

The first session took place on October 5, 2019 at Remedios T. Romualdez Memorial Foundation in Tacloban, Leyte. The officials who participated were Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs , DrPH, Dean Anne Marie C. Aseron, MSPT, and they were joined by faculty members Mr. Ivan Neil B. Gomez, PhD, OTRP, Ms. Zyra Mae V. Sicat, MOH, Ms. Catherine Escuadra, MHPEd, Asst. Prof. Christian Rey Rimando, MSPT, and Mr. Mark Angel B. Serra, MOH.

Two sessions were conducted simultaneously on October 13, 2019. The first session saw Dean Aseron, along with faculty members Escuadra, Rimando, and Serra, share CRS’ best practices on Internationalization to 14 faculty members of San Pedro College, Davao. Meanwhile, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Peralta, , and Sicat held the cascading session with Universidad de Sta. Isabel (USI) faculty members, who were led by USI Rehabilitation Sciences Department Chair Sue Romero, MSPT, also a Thomasian alumna.

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Each year since 2016, UST SIMBAHAYAN, which literally stands for Simbahan (Church), Bahay (������ý), and Bayan (Nation / Country), has brought the caravan to two partner universities in the country. Each university, in turn, also shares its best practices, providing the UST group a chance to learn, too. According to Simbahayan Director Mark Anthony D. Abenir, DSD, the act of sharing best practices by the partner universities “becomes an opportunity where UST SIMBAHAYAN learns from other HEIs in how they address local challenges in their surrounding communities and how they contribute to public service in their respective regions.” Such an exchange helps in achieving the goal of “mutual exchange of best practices in community engagement, to foster a network of socially engaged and responsive universities.”

A total of eight universities have hosted the caravan.

2016: Silliman University and St. Paul University (Dumaguete)

2017: University of St. La Salle and University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos (Bacolod)

2018: St. Mary’s University (Nueva Vizcaya) and the University of the Cordilleras (Baguio City)

2019: Liceo de Cagayan University and Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) (Cagayan de Oro)

The Learning Exchange Program is similar to the United States of America’s Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education; and the Talloires Network in Europe, an international association of institutions that aims to foster higher education civic engagement).

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