𝐢-𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Bridging global aspirations with institutional growth, the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office XII (CHEDRO XII) successfully conducted the i-Rank: Advancing Global Competitiveness – A Coaching and Mentoring Program on International Rankings on October 28–29, 2025, at the Amethyst Hall, Phela Grande Hotel, General Santos City. Anchored on CHED’s commitment to internationalization and quality assurance, the two-day activity aimed to equip higher education institutions (HEIs) in Region XII with practical knowledge and strategies to engage in global and regional ranking frameworks. It also sought to strengthen institutional capacities in data management, benchmarking, and evidence-based decision-making, as well as foster collaboration among HEIs toward shared goals of international visibility and competitiveness. Representing CHEDRO XII were 𝐌𝐫. 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐲 𝐏. 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐲, Education Supervisor II, Internationalization (IZN) Focal, and Project Head; and 𝐌𝐫. 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐌. 𝐎𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨, Project Technical Staff III for Transnational Higher Education (TNHE) and Program Co-Lead. The event featured experts from leading HEIs in the region. For the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, the speakers included 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐁𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚 (University of Southern Mindanao), 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐚 (Notre Dame of Dadiangas University), 𝐌𝐫. 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐬 (Central Mindanao Colleges), and 𝐌𝐬. 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞 (Green Valley College Foundation, Inc.). Meanwhile, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 (Mindanao State University–General Santos) and 𝐌𝐫. 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 (Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges–General Santos) led the sessions on the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) Rankings. In an atmosphere of collaboration and shared learning, the resource speakers shared their institutions’ experiences in navigating the global ranking landscape. Discussions focused on integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into academic programs and institutional operations, validating impact data, and crafting compelling narratives that demonstrate tangible contributions to society. The WURI segment, in particular, highlighted the role of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement as benchmarks of 21st-century university impact. Participants—composed of internationalization and quality assurance focal persons, institutional researchers, and academic administrators from both public and private HEIs—actively engaged in workshops, benchmarking exercises, and mentoring sessions. These hands-on components enabled them to identify institutional strengths and areas for improvement in data management, visibility strategies, and performance reporting. According to 𝐌𝐬. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐞𝐦𝐞 Ranking Coordinator of Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges–General Santos, “The specific aspects of i-Rank 2025 that were highlighted as strengths by participants were the program’s practical orientation, especially the hands-on sessions and workshops. The expertise of facilitators and resource speakers who connected to real institutional practice was highly appreciated. Participants also valued the networking opportunities and clear materials that they can use after the event for future applications for rankings and others.” Throughout the sessions, many institutions expressed appreciation for the practical insights and localized approaches discussed. Several HEIs committed to establishing or strengthening their data management and sustainability teams to better align with ranking indicators and international standards. The activity further underscored CHEDRO XII’s commitment to inclusivity and collaboration through its IZN One Office Approach, reinforcing that achieving global competitiveness requires a unified, data-driven, and innovation-oriented higher education community. In closing, the i-Rank 2025 program was lauded for its relevance, practicality, and collaborative spirit. It marked another significant milestone in Region XII’s journey toward global visibility—empowering HEIs to transform insights into action and to position SOCCSKSARGEN as a hub for globally competitive and impact-driven higher education. #CHEDROXII #Internationalization Credits to TNHE CHED XII for the photos and original post