Certifications and cybersecurity: How Asia Pacific College is building for the future

Asia Pacific College (APC), an educational institution under the SM group, continues to enhance its academic offerings through international certifications and strategic partnerships. With its long-term goal of achieving university status, APC remains committed to providing quality education that meets global standards.

APC President Dr. Ma. Teresita "Tata" Medado emphasized the institution’s vision for growth.

"APC envisions becoming a leading institution in the region. Aiming to become a university is our mission in the next four to five years. 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," she said.

In 2025, APC earned certification from the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) for its Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, and Multimedia Arts programs. The certification signifies compliance with high academic standards in teaching, research, and program delivery. The college has also maintained its Autonomous Status from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for seven consecutive years, reflecting its consistent performance in curriculum development, faculty qualifications, and research.

Strengthening global collabs

Building on its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University-Australia (CMU-A) in 2022, APC expanded its collaboration with the University of Adelaide in 2024. This initiative has facilitated capacity-building programs for faculty, staff, and government professionals, supported by the Australia Awards Scholarships.

APC also introduced the Digital Defender Program in partnership with Gogolook, a Taiwan-based TrustTech company. The initiative promotes online safety and cybersecurity awareness among students through the Whoscall application, which helps users detect and avoid scams.

"We seek to empower students with greater awareness of online safety and cybersecurity through this app," said Dr. Medado. "The value of GogoLook extends to professional ethics and character formation. We are preparing our students to become responsible global citizens."

Future-focused education

As part of APC’s vision to become a university, Dr. Medado said the school aims to be more responsive to industry needs in order to bring access to quality education for all.

For the coming year, APC aims to uphold the standards of quality education that it has set in its QS 5-star ratings across four categories namely: inclusivity through a wide array of scholarships; online learning via Hyflex (Hybrid-Flexible), which emphasizes empathy, equity, and engagement; flexible teaching methods; and, employability with 92.8% of graduates securing key positions in the industry.

APC is now focusing on improving the category of internationalization emphasizing transnational collaborations, exchange programs, international students, and other related initiatives.