Batangas State University partners with Microsoft to accelerate holistic digital transformation in higher education

MANILA, Philippines, 22 February 2023—Batangas State University, the Philippines’ National Engineering University (BatStateU-The NEU) is partnering with Microsoft to enable a more sustainable digital transformation journey for its students, educators, and campuses through the integration of Microsoft’s skilling and employability program. Throughout this five-year partnership, Batangas State University aims to empower its students to be future-ready by providing access to Microsoft tools and programs that enhance students’ digital skills such as Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Certifications, Azure for Students, and Minecraft: Education Edition—ultimately leading to better employment and career development opportunities.

As the country’s first and only state university with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-accredited engineering, information technology, and computer science programs, BatStateU-The NEU’s collaboration with Microsoft Philippines intends to accelerate the institution’s pursuit of Smart University status while also improving students’ access to the digital skills and knowledge required for employment in the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the University hopes to serve as a digital transformation model for other institutions of higher learning across the country.

Aligned with Microsoft’s mission to close the skills gap and enhance employability for Filipino students, the five-year partnership is grounded on utilizing Microsoft technologies to develop initiatives geared towards student skilling and workforce readiness, equipping school leaders, administrators and educators with the right tools and skills to support upskilling and reskilling, enabling the university to deliver relevant curriculum aligned to industry standards and  providing opportunities for the institution to showcase its best practices while also learning from the innovation of other universities worldwide.

Batangas State University and Microsoft recently commemorated the beginning of their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. This was done at a roundtable event hosted by Microsoft that brought together academic leaders, administrators and chief information officers from colleges and universities in the country.

“Inclusive, lasting economic recovery and prosperity hinges on a society that empowers all of its citizens. Technology has the unique ability to do just that and at Microsoft we’re committed to scaling the power and capacity of our platform to all Filipinos,” said Peter Maquera, Microsoft Philippines Chief Executive Officer. “Digital skills are critical both for the workforce of today and tomorrow. As educational institutions accelerate their adoption of technology, the building of skills must transition into critical imperatives. We are committed to Batangas State University and their students, in empowering them to achieve more by providing them with access to tools and solutions to succeed.”

“Batangas State University takes pride in its achievements in the fields of engineering and technology. Moving forward, we aim to further strengthen our organization by establishing ourselves as a smart university,” said the University President Dr. Tirso A. Ronquillo. “Our partnership acts as a significant accelerator for our digital transformation path,” he concluded.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.