The Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings recently released its annual university ranking for the year 2008. The Ateneo and the UP climbed notches higher from their shameful places the previous years.

This year’s UAAP ballgame champ Ateneo rose from number 451 in 2007 to number 254 this year, while UP rose from 398 last year to 276.

The hoopla is well celebrated by the Jesuit-run school while some members of the UP community are aghast, infuriated even, at the results. Annus horribilis. Dreadful year.

The THE-QS Rankings are based on data gathered in the following categories: peer academic review, recruiter review, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, student-faculty ratio, and research citations per faculty.

There is talk, threads even, debunking the results saying that most of the data are rehashed from the previous years as some schools didn’t submit their latest data to accurate their standings. Oh well bitter.

* * *
On a different and a lighter note, I stumbled upon this indie teaser on UPCAT, the state university’s admission exam. UPCAT the movie, is a coming-of-age story of two buddies from the province who believe that passing the UPCAT is the proverbial passport to their dreams.

The dream project stars Felix Roco (oh so hot! shit, I’m about to pee), Richard Quan and several local actors. The film, mostly shot at UP-Los Baños campus in Laguna, is directed by Roman Carlo Olivarez. OST by Raimund Marasigan of Sandwich.

The project is one of the grantees of Cinema One originals. They’ll be having a run at Galeria’s Indiesine on Dec 3-16. The trailer is now up, and it looks promising.

Let’s hope the film go beyond Mongol 2s and shaded circles. Let’s pray the guys the best.