Your host institution for eLFA 2022 is the University of Santo Tomas, the Pontifical, Royal, and Catholic University of the Philippines which holds the distinction of being the oldest existing university in Asia.

Located in the heart of Manila, the University of Santo Tomas, is a Dominican higher education institution of learning founded in 1611, under the patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas.  Four of its historical structures have been declared as the National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines. This is the first time that an educational institution joins the roster of National Cultural Treasures, with the majority of such structures being churches, and the rest being terrestrial landmarks, intangible cultural property, and movable objects. Likewise, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared the University of Santo Tomas campus as a National Historical Landmark. 

While the University of Santo Tomas holds the distinction of being Asia’s oldest existing university, its age is coupled with its preeminence in Philippine education.  UST  is among the top universities in the country and also holds the distinction of being the first and only university in the Philippines that was given a rating of Five Stars by the Quacquarelli Symonds.  Not only does it boast of several firsts in the different realms of education. It also has administrators and faculty members who are holding leadership positions in the Philippines’ policy-making bodies (e.g. Commission on Higher Education) and professional organizations, helping influence policies for the betterment of the society in general.

The timeliness and timelessness of the University of Santo Tomas extend beyond the four walls of the campus. Recognizing the value of strong and beneficial partnerships, UST maintains linkages with partner universities and educational institutions here and abroad, with the top players in the industry, with Philippine government institutions, and with the respected professional organizations.   Such partnerships and linkages such as hosting the eLearning Forum Asia 2022 allow UST to engage in meaningful collaboration that leads to student and faculty mobility, research collaboration, joint scientific activities, scholarship grants, curricular enhancement, and policy formulation, among others.

In the Philippines, the university also holds the distinction of being the pioneer and leader in massive-wide eLearning adoption since 2002.  The university’s digital learning innovation unit, the UST Educational Technology Center, under the Office of the Information and Communications Technology,  spearheads the promotion of innovative approaches to teaching and learning using the appropriate integration of digital technologies in a flexible learning environment.  The center’s impact and contribution to the advancement of technology-based teacher professional education have been recognized both in international and national professional institutions.  Some of its notable awards include the 2016 Dakilang Parangal Awards – Best  Innovative Teacher Education Program Initiative  – in recognition as a leader in implementing a nationwide Teacher Capacity Building Program on ICT Integration in the Classroom given by the Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE), 2017 Edutech Asia Awards for Education Inclusion, 2018 Catalyst Award for Optimizing Student Experience, and 2018 Catalyst Award for Leading Change.  The center is also recognized as an associate member of UNESCO Resource Distribution and Training Center (RDTC) program authorized by the UNESCO ICT in Education, Bangkok.   In 2021, the university was nationally recognized for being the recipient of the Gawad Edukampyon Award for Excellence in Flexible and Responsible Management by the Commission of Higher Education as a testament to its outstanding management response to ensure continuity of education during times of disruption while ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and school-community.