The UST Graduate School marked its 75th year by honoring top alumni in ceremonies last Feb. 22.

The diamond jubilee at the Manila Hotel had the theme “Refracting the Light, Illuminating the Mind, Reflecting the Glory.”

Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, chair of the 75th anniversary celebration, said in his welcome remarks that the secret to the Graduate School’s longevity lies within its sense of mission in spreading the “light of education.”

“In UST, we don’t count years, we count centuries. But our sense of mission is the secret of being forever young even if we are already 400 years old. It’s the key to our institution’s dynamism.”

Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., dean of the Faculty of Sacred Theology and one of the recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award, compared the Graduate School to a diamond that cannot be scratched by other gems.

“The same goes with the UST Graduate School, molded by years of hardness, pure of its stellar accomplishment, and scratching the surface of Philippine education, but still polishing its inner core of the spirit of Christian faith and its unending grace.”

Notable alumni include Arturo Tolentino, the late former vice president and senator, and former president Diosdado Macapagal. The Graduate School has also produced the likes of Merlinda Bobis, renowned writer in Filipino non-fiction; Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, a former Varsitarian editor in chief and award-winning writer; and William Henry Scott, a historian who specialized on pre-Hispanic Philippines.

Since the first diamond jubilee of the Graduate School in 1998, awards have been given to distinguished alumni. The Pierozzi Award, named after St. Antoninus of Florence, patron saint of Graduate School, was given to awardees that showed exemplary performance in leadership. Another recognition given was the Fr. Silvestre Sancho, O.P. Service Award, inspired by the Graduate School’s first dean. Other awards given were the Academic Leadership Award, the Distinguished Family Member Award, and the Outstanding Alumni award.

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Older than 75

Master’s and doctoral degrees have been granted by UST even before 1938. It has been a training ground for post-graduate students since 1663, 52 years after the University’s foundation year in 1611.

Dr. Marilu Madrunio, dean of the Graduate School, said in her speech that the UST should be celebrating more than 350 years of the existence of the Graduate School, noting that it had granted master’s and doctorate degrees long before any other university in Asia or North America.

It was in 1619 when Pope Paul V granted the faculty to confer degrees to all Dominican colleges in the New World, including the University. In 1629, Pope Urban VIII renewed the authority of the University to confer degrees. It was only in 1645 when its license to grant degrees became permanent.

The first twelve graduates from 1629 to 1645 were conferred masteral and licentiate degrees in arts and a doctorate Theology.

Thereafter, program offerings expanded to Theology, Philosophy, Arts, Civil Law, Canon Law, Latin, Pharmacy, and Medicine, producing a total of 1,176 graduates from 1645 to 1911. However, it was only in 1663 when the investitures were recorded in the official graduation book of the University.

From the late 19th century to early 20th century, the University offered degrees in Natural Science, Philosophy and Letters, Physical Science, Dentistry, Civil engineering, Science, and Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Economics, Education, Commerce, and Mathematics.

Two of the most prominent Thomasians given honorary degrees were former presidents Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Quezon, who were given the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in 1929 and 1936, respectively.

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In 1938, the University finally integrated all masteral and doctorate programs under the UST Graduate School. Its first dean was Fr. Silvestre Sancho, O.P.

UST owes Graduate School

Madrunio compared the Graduate School’s immense contributions to a proverb.

“A proverb is a short sentence based on a long experience. Indeed, the start of the UST Graduate School is but a proverb within the long and colorful history of the University of Santo Tomas. That is our legacy to our nation and to the rest of the world,” she said.

Aureada said UST would not be the same university known today without the Graduate School.

“UST owes a lot to the Graduate School’s contribution to its being a ‘university.’ What really sustains this university is the existence of the Graduate School. Kung walang Graduate School, hindi prestigious, hindi dapat tawaging ‘university,’” Aureada said.

The Graduate School was recently included in the list of the Eduniversal International Scientific Committee, a Paris-based ranking agency that names the best business schools in over 150 countries. Six of its business-related degrees made it the ranking.

Faltering

Also present in the celebration was Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chair Patricia Licuanan, Ph. D, also an alumna of the Graduate School.

Although the Graduate School has achieved much in the modern setting, Licuanan said the country has been “lagging behind” Asian neighbors in terms of technological innovation and global competitiveness, with the Philippines’ most prestigious universities, including UST, slipping in the QS world rankings.

Licuanan pointed to the inadequacy of internationally acclaimed research innovations as the reason for UST’s decline in the listing.

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“Research continues to be a major area for improvement in our university. Here is where our Graduate School should play a vital role,” she said.

To get back on track toward global competitiveness, Licuanan said graduate programs should define their standards as “way above the minimum” and must offer innovative research programs. Despite the University’s inability to reenter the rankings, Licuanan said CHED would help UST in finding its niche.

Licuanan expressed her gratitude to former CHEd chairman Fr. Rolando Dela Rosa, O.P. for “steering CHEd during the most stressful and painful phase of the regulatory agency.”

Aureada echoed Licuanan, saying that in terms of global competitiveness, the road ahead for UST was a long and winding one. But if Thomasians work together, “miracles can happen.”

Madrunio also said students should be encouraged to do more research and push themselves to the limit so that after graduation, their theses and dissertations won’t “gather dust in the cabinet.” Jon Christoffer R. Obice

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