Mapúa Education Group unveils Co-Intelligence AI integration, launches first-everBS AI Engineering program in PH

The Mapúa Education Group is redefining the future of education with the groundbreaking launch of its Co-Intelligence AI (Artificial Intelligence) Strategy, a forward-thinking initiative to empower students, faculty, and employees to thrive in a world where human creativity and critical thinking integrate seamlessly with artificial intelligence. 

The official launch was marked with an event held at the Mapúa University campus in Makati City led by Mapúa University President and CEO Dr. Dodjie S. Maestrecampo and key officials from the network of Mapúa Education Group including Mapúa University, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapúa MCL), Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM), and Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC).

“AI is no longer optional. It is reshaping industries, redefining skills, and reimagining learning. This is why today we are formally launching the Mapua Education Group’s Co-Intelligence Strategy. It is our collective response to this transformation and that is to be done through Co-Intelligence. In this, we will learn with AI using AI tools to enhance teaching and learning; we will learn about AI, embedding AI literacy and critical thinking skills across every program; and we will work with AI, equipping our faculty members, staff, and professionals with AI tools to use in teaching, research, and operations,” Maestrecampo remarked.

The Mapúa Education Group Co-Intelligence AI Strategy is a holistic and comprehensive initiative designed to cultivate a future-ready ecosystem of learning, including students, professors, and employees. Through the valuable integration of AI literacy, real-world experiences, and industry-recognized credentials into every aspect of the Mapúa programs, the graduates will be equipped to thrive and lead in a highly innovative and rapidly changing world.   

With AI literacy as the highlight of Co-Intelligence, strategic initiatives were set to ensure comprehensive and effective AI integration in the institution. Among these initiatives include AI-infused Curriculum, which incorporates AI in every aspect of curriculum design including learning objectives, activities, and assessments to enhance the learning experience of students and improve critical real-life skills. The project also implemented embedded AI courses to equip students across all courses with essential AI and critical thinking skills to enable them to apply AI technologies across various disciplines. 

To ensure that these innovative programs are effectively taught, the Co-Intelligence strategy also includes AI-focused professional development. Through this, upskilling programs centered on AI technologies and a formal education on AI were offered to faculty, staff, and professionals outside the university to gain in-depth knowledge about it. Beyond the classroom, another significant component of the initiative is Long-Term Experiential Learning and Academically-Linked Work Learning which engages students in projects and professional experiences that empower them to apply their knowledge in real life with AI technologies. 

Mapúa Education Group’s Co-Intelligence also has robust programs in place to promote critical thinking and judgment, ethical and responsible AI use, as well as human-centricity, emotional intelligence and creativity.This ensures that the Mapúa  community is fully equipped to not just use AI, but to also critically evaluate its output and advocate for its responsible use and human-centric application.

Consistent with its Co-Intelligence strategy, the Mapúa Education Group is championing AI through various implementations. At Mapúa MCM, its AI initiative called MyPÚA serves as a one-stop digital companion through its Exam Reviewer with AI Tutor feature, which generates practice exams and evaluates student performance as well as uses AI to analyze test results. In addition, the Mapúa MCL campus is utilizing The PathBuilder, an AI-powered platform that personalizes learning paths and customizes content to align with a student’s interests and goals, which is seen as a solution to increased engagement, improved knowledge retention and accelerated skill development. Online learning with MMDC is also made more convenient through student services such as the MMDC Learner’s Assistant, a high-powered AI assistant that delivers fast, efficient and always-on support to students.

Pioneering the Future with the Philippines’ First BS AI Engineering

Aligning with the Mapúa Education Group’s Co-Intelligence AI Integration launch, the event also served as a platform to announce Mapúa University pioneering the B.S. in 

AI Engineering course in the Philippines. The program, a first of its kind in the Philippines, is initially available at the Mapúa University School of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering in Manila.

The B.S. in AI Engineering program will cover machine learning, Deep Learning Architectures, while also offering training in robotics, natural language processing (NLP), and applied skills in AI development. The program is also designed to incorporate ethical, social, and environmental concerns. 

“It is the first dedicated AI engineering degree in the Philippines. It is designed with reference to the Philippine Skills Framework for Analytics and AI to address the growing demands for AI engineers across sectors. We have core courses, but some applied AI projects that we’re thinking about right now are engaged in real-world projects addressing Philippine challenges like disaster response AI systems, agricultural yield optimization, healthcare diagnostics for underserved areas, and local language processing tools,” Dr. Arnold Paglinawan, Mapúa University Dean of the School of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering, said.

“The way forward for our students is to be the first generation of AI native engineers, for the industry to partner with us to shape the AI workforce of tomorrow, and for the nation to position the Philippines as a hub for ethical and inclusive AI innovation. With a century of engineering excellence and decades of computing expertise behind it, Mapúa University is not simply opening a new degree program. It is building the future of AI engineering in the Philippines—one student at a time.The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. Join us in building tomorrow,” Paglinawan declared.

During the launch, Paglinawan also cited exciting career opportunities for those who would pursue the degree. With this program, opportunities in AI-focused professions abound including AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Business Intelligence Developer, as well as career options including becoming a Research Scientist, AI Solutions Architect, Data Engineer and more.

Future-Proofing Careers Through AI-Powered Learning

The event also featured a discussion on AI and its impact on the contemporary work landscape with guest speaker Rowena Subido, First Senior Vice President and Head of RCBC Human Resources Group, sharing her insights about it. Subido also addressed the fears of jobs being replaced by AI.

“A major proportion of the Philippine workforce will experience a shift in skills for their role. As a result of AI, 52% of professionals in the Philippines are in roles that will likely be disrupted or augmented by AI. [However,] AI will only replace your job if you do not have skills. If you do not have the skills, then upskill, reskill, and retool—those are the key things,” Subido noted.

“There are new jobs, new titles, and new skills that we need to develop [because of AI]. That’s why I’m very happy to really hear about the BS AI Engineering course because that would help the corporations identify the right talent rather than the corporations training them. At least the schools, like Mapúa, will be able to prepare accurately and patiently,” she added.

Mapúa embracing AI demonstrates its commitment to empower its students with a new skill set for its graduates to experience accelerated career growth and to bridge the skills gap in the modern industries. The Mapúa Education Group Co-Intelligence Strategy is a testament to the group’s vision to utilize AI as a tool that complements human capabilities and to advocate AI literacy to fully equip and empower the Mapúa Education Group’s staff, students, and graduates. 

To explore and learn more about the Mapúa Education Group Co-Intelligence and how the AI initiative is integrated in the curriculum, visit its schools’ websites:

Mapúa University: www.mapua.edu.ph

Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna: mcl.edu.ph

Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao: mcm.edu.ph

Mapúa Malayan Digital College: mmdc.mcl.edu.ph