UA&P, OneStop Logistics establish academe-industry partnership

Industrial Engineering students to address real-world logistics challenges, from port congestion to warehouse optimization 

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) and OneStop Logistics Solutions, Inc. (OLSI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 30, 2026, launching an academe–industry partnership that will engage Industrial Engineering (IE) students in real-world supply chain and logistics projects.

OLSI, a subsidiary of Magsaysay Shipping and Logistics, is a full-service integrator that provides customized end-to-end logistics solutions for the handling of different types of cargoes.

The partnership reflects UA&P's commitment to “engaged scholarship,” an approach that grounds research in the real needs of industry. Under this approach, logistics research derives its value from real-world data and industry problems while also enabling students to produce scholarly work from these collaborations.

Signing the MOA on behalf of UA&P were Dr. Fe Gladys B. Golo (2nd from right), Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Noemi B. Torre, Dean of the School of Sciences, Engineering and Technology (rightmost). Representing OLSI were Mr. Miguel N. Gutierrez, General Manager, and Ms. Ruth Macalalad, Systems Lead.

The partnership begins with a scoping study led by UA&P fourth-year IE students Abby Capricho and Luise Paner, aimed at identifying the specific areas where UA&P and OLSI can create the most value together. Potential project areas include the following: 

• less-than-container-load (LCL) service rules, including optimization of consolidation strategies; 

• peak season port congestion and its impact on delivery timelines and service reliability; and 

• warehouse optimization, focusing on space utilization and throughput efficiency.

“This partnership gives our students something no textbook can provide—direct exposure to the complexity of real logistics operations, where the data is messy, the problems are urgent, and the solutions have actual consequences. Working alongside OLSI’s teams will sharpen not just their technical skills, but their professional judgment,” said Dr. Varsolo Sunio, Program Director of the Industrial Engineering program of UA&P.

The scoping study will inform a second, more detailed MOA covering the implementation of collaborative projects, with clearly defined goals, timelines, and data-sharing arrangements.

“Over the long term, I hope this becomes a sustained pipeline, where each batch of IE students builds on the work of the previous one, deepening both our understanding of the logistics sector and our contribution to it. For the program, this is how engaged scholarship becomes a living practice, not just a principle,” Dr. Sunio added.#

The signatories with representatives from UA&P and OLSI. Dr. Varsolo Sunio, Program Director of BSIE, stands 6th from right.