GBF Trustee Marcia Gokongwei, herself a DLSU alumnae, was the guest of honor at the DLSU-GCE 75th Anniversary Celebration, which highlighted the institution’s legacy and landmark achievements. In her address that was shared with the faculty, administration, alumni, and students, Ms.Marcia noted with pride that the College has consistently produced forward-thinking engineering professionals who are making their mark in different industries. “We in the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation are deeply honoured to be a partner of this endeavor in our shared vision of nation-building through elevating STEM education. This dream has been realized with the numerous achievements of the DLSU GCE in the past years. The College has been the recipient of Awards, Recognitions, and Accreditations for faculty, students, and programs from local and international institutions. With these benchmarks and milestones, we can truly say that we are on the right track,” she said.
Molding Leaders in Industry and Innovation
Since the partnership began in 2011, the DLSU-GCE has accommodated a total of 115 students towards their dream of becoming Engineering graduates from one of the country’s top universities. Of these students, 88 have finished their studies and 57 have graduated with honors. For academic year 2021-2022, the Scholarship Program has produced 19 degree holders, with one Summa cum Laude, three Cum Laude graduates, and four Honorable Mention recipients.
The Licensure Exam Passing Rate has been consistently excellent through the years. For the past year, it has posted a passing rate of 91.3% for Chemical Engineering, 90.20% for Civil Engineering and 83.87% in Electronics Engineering and 83.33% Mechanical Engineering for 2019.
The partnership likewise fosters an academic culture that encourages Research Work, and DLSU-GCE has been prolific in publishing Annual Publications in the fields of Chemical Engineering, Energy Engineering, and Environmental Science, with 154 GCOE publications in 2021 alone. Five faculty members are counted as among the top 2% researchers based on scientific impact according to a report by the Stanford University in California, USA.
New patents in Geopolymer Products, an Exoskeleton Project, and Kidney Bioengineering have emerged from the talents of the College faculty, and collectively, the college faculty which also has four new Doctorate graduates, has received 28 awards.
The National Council for Research in the Philippines has tapped faculty members from the College for its R&D Leadership Program, with Professors Andres Winston Oreta, Robert Kerwin Billones, and Michael Angelo Promentilla, who are tasked to promote research in all sectors of society, foster linkages with local and international scientific organizations and provide valuable advice on problems and issues of national interest.
This emphasis on excellence among the faculty has inspired the students to perform at their best. DLSU-GCE students have been consistently placing at the top spots at National-Level competitions. Furthermore, the quality of education offered at the Institution has led to De La Salle University’s recognition as the top Philippine private Higher Education Institution in Chemical Engineering based on the 2022 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, along with ranking 401-600 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in its Sustainable Development Goals category.
Forging forward
With the continued support of the GBF, the DLSU-GCE plans to advance Faculty Research and Development. Under the leadership of Dean Kathleen Aviso, who was recognized as one of Asia’s top 100 scientists in 2021 by Singaporean publication ASM International, the Institution aims to increase research in sustainability issues, computational techniques, data science, and machine learning.
“Guided by Lasallian core principles, the College will focus on the three areas of Teaching and Learning, Community Service, and Research. In the coming years, we aim to develop a mentoring program and new modes of delivery, while strengthening partnerships with industry and strengthen our presence in the international scientific community. We will strengthen mentoring of junior researchers and engagement with foreign collaborators and develop programs with the newly-established School of Lifelong Learning,” Dean Aviso said.
The College will also undergo reaccreditation with the PAASCU (Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities) and the PTC-ACBET (Philippine Technological Council - Accreditation and Certification Board for Engineering and Technology) and launch of the Quality Assurance conference.
Ms.Marcia said, “We want to continue supporting future leaders and innovators through DLSU-GCE, especially as we build back better after the pandemic. The Foundation will continue to champion industry-led education that is relevant and timely, and offer more Filipinos opportunities to learn, and eventually, lead in STEM.”
The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation is paving the way towards advancements in STEM education and research across the country. Aside from supporting students and faculty at the DLSU-GCE, it has spearheaded programs such as TeachSTEM Scholarships for Educators, Juan Community for Education, Iskolar ni Juan Tech-Voc Scholarships and the GBF-Gokongwei Group STEM Scholarship for Excellence.
