The World Technology Universities Network is pleased to formally announce that as 1 August 2024, Mindanao State University, The Philippines has joined the WTUN as a member. This news marks the third institution to join the WTUN in 2024 and the first member university in The Philippines.

Professor Shirley Congdon, Chair WTUN, and the whole of the Network extends a warm welcome to Atty. Basari D. Mapupuno, System President, Mindanao State University, Professor Dr. Melba M. Angni, Director for International Affairs and Linkages and their colleagues to the WTUN, its Boards and programmes.

The WTUN’s diverse membership is united by a commitment to the inclusive advancement of sustainable scientific and technology teaching and research; each demonstrating a commitment to truly equitable innovation for the benefit of people and place.

“MSU brings to the WTUN a demonstrated commitment to social relevance, innovation, and sustainability ”

“We are delighted to welcome MSU as member of the Network. Alongside scientific excellence,  MSU brings to the WTUN a demonstrated emphasis to social relevance, innovation, and sustainability in addition to a commitment to peace and development” says Professor Congdon. “MSU’s membership will strengthen our presence in South-East Asia and represents expansion into new territory, complementing our existing membership and expanding the regional impact and opportunities for truly global collaboration on the challenges facing humanity”.

Mindanao State University (MSU)

“…membership (of the WTUN) will foster new research collaborations, grant opportunities, and international exchanges, raising MSU’s profile as a leader in technology and innovation.”

“Mindanao State University is proud to join the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN), marking a significant step in our commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and global collaboration. Through this partnership, we aim to enhance our educational offerings, research capabilities, and technological advancements by building strong alliances with leading institutions worldwide. We anticipate that our membership will foster new research collaborations, grant opportunities, and international exchanges, raising MSU’s profile as a leader in technology and innovation. We are committed to actively participating in WTUN’s initiatives, contributing our expertise, and upholding the network’s values of excellence, inclusivity, and sustainability to create impactful solutions that benefit both our local community and the global society.”

– Atty. Basari D. Mapupuno, System President, Mindanao State University

About MSU

Mindanao State University (MSU), established in 1961, is one of the premier higher education institutions in the Philippines, playing a pivotal role in the educational, social, and economic development of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan (Minsupala). Originally founded to serve as a social laboratory to integrate the culturally diverse population of the region, MSU has since evolved into a comprehensive university system that spans multiple campuses across the Minsupala, offering a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. MSU’s mandate is not only to provide quality education but also to foster research, development, and community engagement, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities within Mindanao and beyond.

Branding itself as “National Peace University”, MSU holds a deep-seated commitment to peace education, recognizing its crucial role in fostering harmony and understanding in a culturally diverse region like Mindanao. With its unique geographical and socio-cultural setting, MSU is at the forefront of promoting peace and intercultural dialogue through its academic programs, community outreach, and research initiatives. The university integrates peace education into its curriculum across all disciplines, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become peace advocates and leaders. Additionally, MSU actively engages in peace-building activities and partnerships with local communities, government agencies, and international organizations, aiming to address conflicts, promote reconciliation, and enhance social cohesion. By fostering a culture of peace and inclusivity, MSU not only contributes to the stability and development of Mindanao but also serves as a model for peace education in higher education institutions.

The university boasts resources and facilities, research centers, and technology hubs that support its robust academic and research programs. MSU’s research, extension, and development agenda are strategically aligned with regional and national priorities, focusing on areas such as sustainable agriculture, environmental management, renewable energy, peace and development, women and gender studies, and cultural preservation. This agenda positions MSU as a critical driver of innovation and knowledge creation, aiming to provide solutions to the socio-economic issues facing Mindanao and the broader Southeast Asian region. MSU also  prides itself as the country’s academic partner in the promotion and development of Halal Industry and Islamic Finance.

As a university for the people, MSU is committed to inclusivity, diversity, and community-oriented development. Its programs are designed to not only produce skilled graduates but also to contribute significantly to nation-building and regional development. The university’s strong emphasis on social relevance, innovation, and sustainability makes it an invaluable asset to the World Technology Universities Network (WTUN). MSU’s commitment to harnessing technology for social good aligns perfectly with WTUN’s vision of using global collaboration to address the world’s technological challenges, making MSU a vital partner in this international consortium.

The following form the research themes that MSU are prioritising over the next few years:

• Human and Community Development
• Culture, Tourism and Arts
• Language, Media and Communication Research
• Industry, Infrastructure, Innovation and Emerging Technology
• Sustainable Economic Production, Food Security and Poverty Alleviation
• The Biological-Physical-Chemical Environment
• Health Research and Development
• Law and Governance
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation

Vision

“MSU System aspires to be a Center of Excellence in Instruction, Research and Extension transforming itself into a premier and globally competitive national peace University”

Mission

MSU System is committed to:

Lead in social transformation through peace education and integration of the Muslims and other cultural minority groups into the mainstream society;

Ensure excellence in instruction, research development, innovation, extension, and environmental education and discovery;

Advance national and international linkages through collaboration; and

Demonstrate greater excellence, relevance, and inclusiveness for Mindanao and the Filipino nation.

Mindanao State University

Connect with MSU

msumain.edu.ph/                   facebook.com                       Linkedin/Mindanaostateuniversity-maincampus

The WTUN invites prospective members who share a commitment to the values of the Network. We have committed as a network to focus on guiding principles of sustainability and inclusivity. The WTUN is a signatory of the SDG Accord, the University and College Sector’s collective response to the Global Goals (www.sdgaccord.org) and the UN SDGs underpin and inform many of the Network’s priorities and activities.

linkedin.com                                                     twitter.com/wtu_network

For more information about the WTUN including applying for membership please contact Development Manager, Denise Whitehead at wtun@bradford.ac.uk

The World Technology Universities Network is pleased to collaborate with Asia Technological University Network (ATU-Net) for ATU-Net World Engineering Day 2023 (ATU-Net WED 2023)

Hosted by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), ATU-Net WED 2023 highlights the theme “Celebrating Engineers: Towards Sustainable Innovation in Engineering”, which will feature a sharing session by prominent speakers of member universities from both Networks.

Details of the programme are as follows:

Date: 6 March 2023 (Monday)
Time: 16:00 – 17:30 (UTC+8) / 08:00 – 09:30 (UTC+0)
Mode: Virtual on Zoom and Facebook Live (ATU-Net)
Fee: Free of Charge
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/T43XYNwxjCDPE5PR9
Registration Deadline: 3rd March 2023 (Friday)
Website: https://atunet.org/atunetwed2023/

ATU-Net WED 2023 is designed in conjunction with the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development which is celebrated every 4th March beginning in 2020, proclaimed by UNESCO at its 40th General Conference in 2019. As an international alliance which focuses on Engineering and Technology, ATU-Net takes pride in recognising and honouring the valuable contribution of all excellent engineers of ATU-Net member institutions and beyond in advocating sustainable innovation in engineering for our next generation.

Participants of this event will be provided with an e-certificate at the end of the programme.

Should you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the secretariat at atunet@utm.my.

For details of upcoming all WTUN Webinars click here 

The Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), in Japan and the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FH Upper Austria), are the latest institutions to join the World Technologies University Network (WTUN).

They join Koforidua Technical University, in Ghana, which also joined WTUN during 2019, to form a thriving network of 25 technology-focused institutions from every continent. Each member is committed to working collectively and collaboratively to develop pragmatic and sustainable solutions to global challenges.

In particular, both SIT and FH Upper Austria are firmly focused on the benefits of international networking to provide the best-possible opportunities for students as well as delivering world class research.

Benefits to WTUN membership include opportunities to take part in exchanges and collaborative research, as well as making links between institutions, industry, NGOs and SMEs. Our annual congress, hosted by one of the member institutions, offers valuable opportunities to keep up-to-date with WTUN activities and acts as a springboard for new collaborations.

Professor Brian Cantor, Chair of WTUN, said: “We’re delighted to welcome these three new members to the WTUN network. Each of them will bring distinctive strengths that will enable us to pursue our overall aims of bringing together the collective technology research power of our members to address some of the worlds most complex and systemic challenges.”

Shibaura Institute of Technology, in Japan, is one of the country’s top global universities, focusing on  nurturing practical engineers to lead Japan’s industrial development. Founded in 1927, SIT has three campuses, two in Tokyo, and one in Saitama, about 30 km to the north of the capital. The Institute’s philosophy of ‘learning through practice’ informs teaching and research across its four faculty with a firm emphasis on developing competent, skilled and creative individuals capable of making a sustainable contribution to society.

Shibaura’s president, Professor Masato Murakami, “WTUN draws together like-minded institutions with an emphasis on global exchange programmes and partnerships. As well as opening up opportunities for students, we hope that, through our membership of WTUN, we will be able to extend our research capabilities – this is key for increasing our ranking both globally and regionally. We’re also very pleased that SIT’s emphasis on gender equality is also a priority for the WTUN and we’re looking forward to joining with WTUN’s initiatives in this important area.”

The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FH Upper Austria) is the country’s strongest university of applied sciences in terms of research. It has 6,000 students studying at campuses in Hagenberg, Linz, Steyr and Wels and brings in research grants worth around €20M per year. The university’s strengths in technology, including AI, energy and renewable energy, medical engineering and food technology, make it an important partner for companies both in Austria and neighbouring countries.

The University also has a strong focus on international collaboration, fostering a large network of around 250 partners across all five continents. Membership of the WTUN will enable the University to further strengthen its collaborations in technology and engineering research.

Dr. Günther Hendorfer, co-ordinating WTUN activities at FH Upper Austria, said:  “We’re very much looking forward to engaging in joint research programmes across all of our areas of research expertise. We’re also keen to invite WTUN specialists to come and talk to our students in our new PhD college that is currently under construction and to taking part in the WTUN Student Competition.

“A priority for FH Upper Austria is to ensure that we have sufficient qualified engineers – intiatives such as WTUN could be really valuable in developing a common approach to bringing new young people into the field of engineering.“