The University of Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Distance Education in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) held a joint postgraduate webinar last 30 September 2022. UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) Assistant Professor, Dr. Finaflor Taylan, represented the university through her presentation entitled “Student Supervision and Felt Presence: A Bittersweet Journey of a Researcher, Mother, and Development Advocate towards a Post Graduate degree.”
Dr. Taylan’s shared in her presentation that the “conduct of research especially from the side of the students can help us reflect more.” In terms of supervision and making presence felt to the supervisee, it is productive to get to know the personal and professional goals and see how supervisors can help fulfill them and how these can be aligned with the university goals of purposeful supervision.
Dr. Taylan further shared her modes of study during her postgraduate studies at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia – external, offshore, purely online, and independent – and some of the difficulties experienced with these modes – internet connection in the country, juggling her time and activities, natural calamities and disasters, pandemic, supervisors – thus, all of these are useful for supervisors to conclude that it is essential to get know their supervisee’s personal struggle to understand them better.
In order to finish postgraduate studies and therefore achieve success, it is necessary to draw from personal goals and experiences, and support programs. Supervisees’ motivation must be strengthened and enhanced through sources of inspiration.
According to Dr. Taylan, supervisees can benefit if supervisors provide additional push and are generous with compliments whenever necessary. It will also help if supervisees are treated as co-creators of knowledge and supervisors are co-learners. Such openness of supervisors and universities to learn, and unlearn is essential to become adept at students’ needs and other societal concerns.
Dr. Taylan concluded her presentation by highlighting the importance of improving a sense of presence that “when proper perspective and support are provided, possibilities are endless.”
The said event was part of the collaboration between USM and UPOU. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Nagaletchimee Anamalai of the USM School of Distance Education.
Written by Alessa Shainne Hostalero
Edited by Myra C. Almodiel and Anna Cañas-Llamas