TAU leads Philippine SUCs in UI Green Metric World University Rankings
Considered as an early Christmas gift to Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) community, the UI Green Metric World University Rankings listed TAU as the number one State University and College (SUC) in the Philippines in terms of sustainability performance.
Released on 14 December, the report evaluated the ecological footprint and sustainability in education and research of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), globally. TAU seized the 261st spot with a total score of 6,900 points. This is TAU’s first attempt to be included in the said global list.
TAU’s President, Dr. Max Guillermo, stressed that such recognition validated the efforts of TAU officials and stakeholders. “This milestone proves that we, at TAU, are on the right direction towards our vision of becoming one of the Top 500 universities in Asia.” Dr. Guillermo also mentioned that TAU will embrace green technology and promote conservation of resources as it transitions to a truly Smart University.
De La Salle University – Dasmariñas ranked first among Philippine universities and 182nd globally with 7,325 points. Other universities in the list are De La Salle University Manila (226th), Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (525th), Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan (659th), Ateneo de Davao University (663rd), Manila Central University (717th), Bataan Peninsula University (736th), and Foundation University (899th).
Topping this year’s ranking is Wageningen University and Research (WUR) of The Netherlands. It was joined in the top 10 by seven more European universities, University of Connecticut in the United States (US), and Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil. WUR consistently made it on top since 2017. Universitas Indonesia, which ranked 24th globally, is the number one university in Asia.
The top 10 was traditionally dominated by American and European universities since its inception in 2010. University of California Berkeley (US), University of Notthingham (UK), University of California – Davies (US), and University of Connecticut (US) were once hailed as best HEIs.
Meanwhile, criteria and indicators include the HEI’s setting and infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste, Water, Transportation, and Education and Research.
“TAU is onboard with the United Nations in making the 2030 Agenda a reality. We will continue to adopt different sustainability measures to ensure a better future for the next generation of TAUinians,” Dr. Christine N. Ferrer, Director of TAU External Linkages and International Affairs, remarked. Dr. Ferrer also shared that TAU is working on other international rankings like the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI). WURI assesses HEI’s real contributions to society.
(Jerome L. Duque, TAU-ELIA)