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MANILA — Mapua University said on Wednesday it partnered with the Arizona State University (ASU) for programs focused on business and health sciences to make students "globally relevant."

Since tapping the ASU and the ASU-Cintana Alliance, Mapua now has access to a repository of courses that are "well attuned" to the current employment needs, including tech and digital skills, its president Dr. Reynaldo Vea said.

"By partnering with the Arizona State University, we’ll be more attuned to what is happening globally," Vea told ANC.

"In that manner, we hope to be able to take advantage or leverage this partnership for Mapua graduates not just to be globally competitive, but globally relevant," he added.

With the partnership, Vea said Mapua students could look forward to joining internships in the US, becoming exchange students with partner universities, participating in international research projects, and taking courses in both Mapua and ASU or online.

Out of the 220 million enrolled students globally, only 10 percent have access to top ranked universities and the partnership widens the reach of Mapua students, ASU-Cintana Education chief of strategy and head of Asia Chris Hill said.

The goal is “connecting the students from the Philippines with the resources of the Arizona State University,” Hill said.

Hill said ASU is the top US university for innovation.

Vea said the partnership is just in the early stages, but they have plans to put up an innovative laboratory and provide global classroom experience for the students, among others.

In terms of tuition, Vea said the educational institution would try to keep their costs low.

Business programs can cost P175,000 per year, he said. For health sciences programs, Vea said "we'll try to keep it as accessible as possible."

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