SM Group’s Asia Pacific College soon to be a university 

Freshman students gather for their orientation at the APC auditorium at the start of school year 2024-2025. —Contributed photo

Tucked within one of the busiest cities in Metro Manila is a school that was once only a dream for the late SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr.

More than three decades later, Asia Pacific College (APC) has produced thousands of alumni excelling in their own fields.

APC, founded by SM Foundation Inc. and IBM Philippines as a nonstock, nonprofit institution in Makati, is now setting its sights on the next big thing for higher education institutions: a university status.

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“Aiming to become a university is our mission in the next four to five years,” APC president Ma. Teresita Medado says in a statement.

“APC has proven excellence in innovative teaching and learning. It is our goal to expand programs and reach out to more students, especially those from underserved communities,” Medado adds.

This year alone, APC has laid out its plan to maintain high quality in four categories: inclusivity through scholarships, online learning via hybrid and flexible arrangements, flexible teaching methods and employability—92.8 percent of its graduates have secured “key positions” in their respective industries.

Certified

Founded in 1991 and known for its computing and information technology (IT) program, APC, much like its peers, has expanded to also include architecture, engineering, management and multimedia arts, as well as graduate and professional schools.

APC has held its Center of Excellence in IT Education distinction since 2007, and Center of Development in Computer Engineering since 2009.

With a journey toward becoming a university ahead, APC began making strides toward its goal at the beginning of the year.

APC received certification from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations University Network-Quality Assurance for its computer engineering, computer science, IT and multimedia arts programs, entailing that these have met rigorous standards in terms of teaching, research and “overall academic delivery.”

Within the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has also granted APC “autonomous status,” meaning the school has achieved a “high level of excellence,” demonstrating its capacity to self-govern.

In APC’s case, the CHEd recognized its “high performance” in curriculum development, faculty qualifications, research output and community service.

But these were not easy feats to attain, according to the SM Group, which has vowed to continue investing in education.

Partnerships

As with other schools that aspire to become big names and welcome more students, APC had to upskill its workforce in order to remain competitive.

The school has so far partnered with Carnegie Mellon University and University of Adelaide, both based in Australia, mainly for capacity-building programs for faculty, staff and government professionals.

Last year, it also collaborated with Taiwan-based developer Gogolook to enhance APC’s Digital Defender Program, allowing access to cybersecurity within its community.

Beyond its walls, APC has a bigger vision, says Medado: it’s to become more responsive to industry needs, and ensure quality education for all.

“APC envisions becoming a leading institution in the region,” she says.