Assoc. Prof. Ma. Ninia I. Calaca, PhD, of the College of Science – Department of Mathematics and Physics was elected as 2nd Vice Chair for External Affairs of WURI-Experts, an international body under the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) Foundation, during the WURI Global Conference 2025 held on September 24–26 at Tongmyong University in Busan, South Korea. Calaca will be spearheading external partnerships and building international linkages that align with WURI’s mission of promoting innovation beyond traditional academic metrics in her new role.
No stranger to international engagements, Calaca serves in the Commission on Higher Education’s Technical Panel for Open and Distance Learning and has served as Director of UST’s Educational Technology Center.
WURI, according to its website, uses a ranking system that “values real impact upon industry and society, social responsibility, ethics, and integrity.” Among the criteria are student support and engagement, Student Mobility and Openness, Industrial Application, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and SDG-based responses to global challenges.