UPOU to focus on Sustainability and Agility Amidst Disruption for 26th Year Anniv

A virtual celebration of the 26th Anniversary of the UP Open University (UPOU) will be held on 23 February 2021. The theme for the event is “The University of the Future: Sustainability and Agility Amidst Disruption.”

The theme aptly reflects UPOU’s thrust towards the future of education not just in the Philippines but globally. Being the pioneer and leader in open and distance elearning (ODeL) in the country and the region, UPOU leads, and will assist higher education institutions to be future-ready. Since the pandemic broke out and the educational system  in the Philippines experienced a major disruption, UPOU’s focus has been towards initiatives on how to assist academic institutions cope with the disruptions and how it can help shape the future of universities and education. This year,  UPOU will continue its campaign for sustainability and agility in education amidst disruptions, all while maintaining excellence and equity in education.

The theme will also be carried by the 4th  International Conference on Open and Distance eLearning, ICODeL 2021 which will be held in October  this year. ICODeL 2021 is a biennial forum for distance education and e-learning scholars, practitioners and policy makers to share and reflect on experiences, and collaboratively create and explore spaces and possibilities for open, distance and e-learning for development.

For the 26th Anniversary celebration, UPOU constituents and partners will be treated to a morning of exposition about UPOU’s theme for the year. Speakers who will share their thoughts are UPOU Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria and UP President Danilo L. Concepcion. New UPOU activities will also be launched, which will interest academics especially whose interest is in the University of the Future and the future of education.

The afternoon will be dedicated to the UPOU Family Day where staff members can spend time together virtually, and loyal and outstanding faculty and staff members will be recognized. 

All UPOU students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners and other stakeholders  are invited to celebrate with the university. Official links to the virtual ceremony will be posted on the UPOU Website, Social Media Channels and the UPOU Networks.