ISUFST lands eight WURI Global Top 100 spots

Based in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo province, Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology entered the World University Rankings for Innovation for the first time with eight Global Top 100 placements across innovation categories.

The 2026 WURI results placed ISUFST at No. 7 in Social Impact through Knowledge Transfer, or C5, followed by No. 21 in Empowerment-Based Management, or B2.

The university also ranked No. 74 in Financial Impact-Driven Technology Transfer, or C8; No. 76 in Curricular Innovation for Future-Readiness, or C3; No. 86 in Funding for Sustainability, or B5; No. 88 in Interdisciplinary, Convergent, and Integrated Research, or C2; No. 93 in Cost-Effectiveness Management, or B7; and No. 100 in AI-Based Teaching and Learning Transformation, or C4.

For those on campus, the recognition does not feel sudden or overwhelming.

It feels familiar, like something that grew out of long and steady work, much of it done quietly and without expecting anything in return.

ISUFST President Nordy D. Siason Jr. described the result as a reflection of what the institution has been trying to build over time.

“This is really about staying true to what we believe education should do,” he said.

“Academic excellence matters, but it has to translate into something that improves lives. That has always been part of how we see our role.”

Siason said the recognition also aligns with broader national directions in higher education.

“Our efforts are closely tied to CHED’s ACHIEVE framework under Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis,” Siason added.

“What this shows is that when innovation is anchored on service and social justice, it resonates beyond our immediate setting.”

Unlike more traditional rankings, WURI focuses less on reputation and more on how universities respond to real problems, whether their ideas can work, and whether they make a difference.

Its evaluation process includes blind peer review, expert judgment, system-based analysis, and final checks, with entries assessed for innovativeness, implementability, and impact.

That approach has drawn growing global participation, with thousands of innovation cases from more than 1,000 universities worldwide reviewed in recent cycles.

For ISUFST, the WURI debut builds on earlier steps toward international visibility, from internal workshops on global rankings to participation in regional capacity-building efforts.

These were not isolated activities but part of a longer effort to align teaching, research, and extension work with global standards while staying grounded in local realities.

Over the years, much of the university’s work has naturally aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.

Whether through widening access to education, finding practical ways to innovate, working with partners, or caring for marine resources, these efforts have long been part of what ISUFST stands for as the country’s only fisheries university.

Founded in 1957, the university has grown across five campuses, with programs spanning fisheries, education, technology, and management.

In recent years, it has also received multiple recognitions from the Commission on Higher Education, particularly in extension, peace education, student services, internationalization, and inclusive education.

Siason said the WURI results are “less about arrival and more about direction.”

“The work is far from finished. Much remains to be done—systems to improve and communities to serve better. But this recognition holds a simple truth: institutions do not have to be at the center to matter, as long as their work reaches people in real ways.” (Herman Lagon, Rex Paulino/PAMMCO)