Introducing our Member: University of the Philippines Mindanao (AUN Core Member)

From 26-31 March 2023, the AUN Secretariat was honoured by its esteemed members and associate members for a courtesy visit in the beautiful city of Davao, the Philippines. In this series of articles, we are delighted to tell you more about our honourable members and what they are up to!

Last week, we introduced you to the oldest Catholic educational institution in the city of Davao and our associate member - the University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC). This week, we would like to invite you to one of our core members, the one and only constituent of the prestigious University of the Philippines System in Mindanao - the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Mindanao).

The Oblation, the symbol of the University of the Philippines System

Founded in 1995, the University of the Philippines Mindanao is the youngest addition to the prestigious University of the Philippines System. Though it first officially opened its doors in 1995, the history of UP Mindanao can be traced further back to the call from the UP Alumni Association-Davao Chapter, business sector, and media in 1989, which petitioned for the creation of UP institution in Davao City, the biggest city of the Mindanao region. The creation of a UP institution in Davao City would mark the first expansion of the UP System into the Mindanao region.

In 1995, the petition finally bore its fruit as the Republic Act 7889, "An Act Creating the University of the Philippines Mindanao,” was passed, and the University of the Philippines Mindanao was created - the only UP to be created so.

UP Mindanao first offered classes through the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Management. The College of Arts and Science then split into the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics. Together with the School of Management, the three colleges now oversee ten undergraduate and four graduate degrees of UP Mindanao, with new ones, such as the Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) and the Master of Science in Human Movement Science (MSHMS), coming up in the academic year 2023-2024.

The university library of UP Mindanao

The University of the Philippines Mindanao has a mission to provide interdisciplinary education and research and development that is responsive and relevant to the needs of the Mindanao region. The University also commits to preserving the heritage and the biodiversity of the Mindanao region through innovations and technologies. Projects and research under such missions include the MaBiDa Project under the Applied Biodiversity Research for Holistic Advancements in Mindanao, which aims to advance biodiversity research in Mindanao through the creation of a unified information system for data where researchers can search, store, and contribute data on marine species; RabDash DC, which aims to develop a rabies analytic dashboard for supporting the rabies control programme of Davao City through the use of historical data and forecasting tools.

A unique bachelor's degree, tailor-made to the needs and the status of the region is also offered at UP Mindanao. A Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics, the one of its kind in the Philippines, is designed based on the Mindanao region’s status as the ‘fruit basket’ of the Philippines and commits to delivering an economics degree that is applicable to agribusiness.

You can learn more about UP Mindanao at UP Mindanao's official website or stay in touch with them via their Facebook page.