Due to the ongoing pandemic, the future of education arrived early for all of us. The once-futuristic visions of a university of the future escalated and shifted from trends and predictions to reality. The Forum on the Philippine Higher Education of the Future served as a virtual summit of the world’s leading advocates for sustainable and innovative education as well as notable leaders in the field of internationalization.
Held on 25 June 2021, via Zoom, Facebook Live, Youtube Live, and UPOU Networks, the forum was participated by over 1000 individuals representing the different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) all over the country and some parts of Asia. The forum discussions on new perspectives in enhancing and bringing out our Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) potential attempted to provide a blueprint for a more sustainable and future-ready education system in the country.
The forum was officiated by University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor, Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, who also served as moderator, and Atty. Lily Freida Macabangun Milla, Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Deputy Executive Director, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), who delivered the welcoming remarks.
Plenary sessions featured keynote presentations by Dr. Imee S. Martinez, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Internationalization) and Director of the Office of International Linkages of the UP System, on “Internationalization in Higher Education”; Prof. Asha S. Kanwar, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning, on “Sustainable Higher Education in a Post-COVID World”; and Dr. Libing Wang, Chief of Section for Educational Innovations and Skills Development (EISD) and Senior Programme Specialist in Higher Education at UNESCO, titled “Higher Education of the Future: Perspectives and Reflections from UNESCO Bangkok.” The open forum, moderated by Dr. Maria Rowena Del Rosario-Raymundo, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Master of Distance Education Program of UPOU Faculty of Education, discussed issues related to ensuring equity in education during a pandemic, starting up an internationalization initiative for small HEIs, and the status of the Philippines in the field of internationalization.
Two panel discussions were conducted during the afternoon sessions, starting with the top three winners of the First Philippine Higher Education Internationalization Award. The three University Presidents — Dr. Bert Tuga of Philippine Normal University; VADM Eduardo Ma R Santos, AFP (Ret) of Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific; and Sr. Merceditas Ang, SPC, of St. Paul University Philippines — shared their experiences and initiatives on Internationalization Before, During, and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic. These HEIs are living testimonies that internationalization can push through, and can even be fast-tracked during a major disruption in education.
The second round of panel discussions featured distinguished speakers in the field of Sustainable Higher Education. Prof. Ojat Darojat, President of the Asian Association of Open Universities and Rector of Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia, shared the Quality and Sustainable Higher Education offered by UT to expand access to higher education. Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Bangkok, Thailand, discussed the current trends and directions towards Sustainable Higher Education. Lastly, Dr. Cherrie Melanie Ancheta-Diego, Director IV, Office of Programs and Standards Development, CHED, emphasized the role of Sustainable Higher Education in creating a world that is increasingly globalized and interdependent.
Prof. Danilo L. Concepcion, President of the University of the Philippines, also graced the forum with his presence and plenary message on “The Philippine Higher Education of the Future” with a note on the core responsibilities of every HEI — serving a global community through their respective mission and core functions despite changes in the norm. The President of the De La Salle University (DLSU), Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC, also shared how DLSU models a University of the Future in his plenary message.
CHED Chairperson, Dr. J Prospero de Vera III, sealed the forum with a keynote address highlighting the “Bayanihan” (Cooperation) aspects between Higher Education Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The forum is part of the collaborative project between UP Open University and the Commission on Higher Education entitled “Towards Quality Higher Education through Internationalization and Technology-enhanced Teaching and Learning Strategies.”
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Shaira Tanay
Edited by Joane V. Serrano