Mapua University will introduce a variety of business and management programs in collaboration with Arizona State University from this academic year onwards. This development follows the approval from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for Mapua's inaugural transnational higher education partnership with a US-based institution, in accordance with Republic Act 1148, also known as the Transnational Higher Education Act.
Under the Transnational Higher Education Act, foreign schools can provide educational services in the Philippines through flexible partnerships or arrangements with Philippine educational institutions. These new programs will allow students to acquire double degrees or be guaranteed an "advanced entry" into a master's degree program at ASU, CHED said.
“Through the Transnational Higher Education Law, we create another pathway for Filipino students to access and acquire international education in order to enhance their skills in specialized areas and competitiveness in the global field”, CHED Chairperson Popoy De Vera said.
In 2024, Mapua University achieved rankings in the 501-600 range on the Times Higher Education's Asia Rankings and in the 601-650 range on the QS Asia rankings. Arizona State University (ASU), a public institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the US Department of Education, has consistently ranked first in innovation among American universities for nine consecutive years, as reported by the annual rankings of the US News & World Report.
Enacted in 2019, the Transnational Higher Education Act aims to enhance the global competitiveness of Philippine higher education and attract more international universities to collaborate with local institutions. Discussions on the law's implementation took place during the Senate's deliberations on proposed economic amendments to the Charter Resolution of Both Houses 6 in February.
During a Senate hearing on February 20, senators queried CHED about how the law permits foreign schools to operate programs in the Philippines while adhering to constitutional limits on foreign ownership. CHED lawyer Peter Lloyd Carpio noted that under RA 11448, at least 11 higher education institutions (HEIs) have formed partnerships with nine HEIs from the United Kingdom.
