On October 6, 2023, the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education RO V, held a webinar titled, Borderless Teaching and Learning for ASEAN Collaboration and Integration.
In her welcome message, Dr. Rachel Cas, Chief Education Program Specialist, commended the SUCs and private universities for being creative and resourceful in pursuing internationalization activities. She hoped that the activity would be a benchmark for other HEIs in the region to pursue internationalization activities as well.
As the host university for the activity the University President of CBSUA, Dr. Alberto N. Naperi, in his keynote speech particularly underscored the participation of SUCs in internationalization initiatives. He explained that internationalization programs are important to instill a sense of global citizenship and prepare them with 21st century competencies. Moreover, he conveyed that true progress in education when one breaks down borders that confine the institution and brings diverse perspectives and resources together.
The first sharer in the webinar was Dr. Darrel M. Ocampos, Dean of the College of Education in CBSUA Sipocot Campus. He was a visiting lecturer at Universitas Mataram in Lombok, Indonesia as part of the International Credit Transfer Program (ICTP). Aside from his lecture activity in the partner university, a part of his academic endeavor in UnRam was a curriculum evaluation; they looked into the commonalities and differences of the curriculum offered by CBSUA and UnRam.
The second sharer was another outbound student-teacher, Ms. Christine Allen Riza N. Boncodin, a Batch 8 SEA Teacher in Indonesia. She shared her experiences and struggles as an exchange student-teacher. However, her discussion focused greatly on the bonds that she created with the partner university.
Mr. Francis Philip S. Dalanon, the third and last sharer was a participant of the Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) Program Short-term Exchange in the University of Tsukuba, Japan, Spring Semester 2023. Mr. Dalanon imparted the different activities they did under the program. He also shared their challenges as foreign students such as language barriers, differences in culture, and even the educational system of the partner university.
With these testimonies, CHED RO V hopes to successfully promote internationalization strategies and enhance institutional linkages and collaboration for increased teacher and student mobility.
