CSPC gears up for post-COVID internationalization

Considering the limitations and constraints of the current pandemic to various internationalization initiatives of SUCs in the Philippines and in the world, particularly to inbound and outbound mobility of students and faculty, the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges has been recalibrating its Internationalization Agenda and gearing up for the post-COVID internationalization challenges and opportunities to deal with its impact.

A major step CSPC has undertaken is establishing mentorship with the Commission of Higher Education – International Affairs Staff headed by Atty. Lily Freida M. Milla, Director III and OIC, Office of Deputy Executive, who serves as its Principal Mentor.

To accomplish this goal, CSPC’s Center for International Linkages and Affairs (CILA) spearheaded the conduct of the Institutional Strategic Planning and Mentoring Session for Internationalization on August 18-20, 2020 which also served as the initial activity in its series of mentorship endeavors with CHED-IAS. Dir. Filmor J. Murillo of CILA, who served as over-all facilitator of the institution-wide activity, worked in close coordination with CHED-IAS duly recognized Internationalization Mentors, who also served as resource speakers: Ms. Jennifer Montero, Regional Manager, Camuson College, British Columbia; Dr. Christine Nabor-Ferrer, Director, External Linkages and International Affairs, Tarlac Agricultural University, and; Mr. Hector J. Gloria, Jr., Director for Communication and Resident Consultant of CHED-IAS, in realizing the goal of understanding and contextualizing the concept and challenges of internationalization based on the paradigm of CHED as articulated in CMO 55, Series of 2016 also known as Policy Framework and Strategies on the Internationalization of Philippine Higher Education.

 

The three-day mentoring sessions featured Keynote Speaker Prof. Amir Mahmood, Dean of Business of Western Sydney University and Atty. Lily Freida M. Milla of CHED-IAS. The event also gathered a pool of respectable and distinguished speakers from the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, who explored an array of relevant themes and topics on internationalization. Among the speakers were: ASST. PROF. DR. DONLUDEE JAISUT, Associate Dean, International Relations, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, THAILAND; DR. HSING HAO WU, Dean, Office of International Affairs, National University of Kaohsiung, TAIWAN; DR. CHRISTINE NABOR-FERRER, Tarlac Agricultural University, PHILIPPINES; DR. NARONGRIT MUANGMAI, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Kasetsart University; THAILAND; DR. JEONGHO “DANIEL” CHA, Professor, Department of Chemistry Education College of Education, Daegu University, SOUTH KOREA; MS. RITHIKA THOMAS, Project SHEA Lead, Nanyang Technological Institute, SINGAPORE; ASSOC. PROFESSOR DR. YAZRINA YAHYA, Deputy Director, Center for Leadership Sustainability Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), MALAYSIA; MS. JENNIFER MONTERO, Regional Manager, Camosun College, Victoria, British Columbia, CANADA; BR. MANUEL PAJARILLO FSC, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Research, De La Salle Lipa, PHILIPPINES; DR. JENNY BALBOA Project Consultant, Asian Development Bank Institute (2013-2016), Professor, Tokyo University for Foreign Studies, Hosei University, JAPAN; PROF. MUHAMMAD WAHYU ISLAMI PRATAMA, Program Manager, Study Abroad Program and CommTECH Camp, ITS International Office,  INDONESIA; OCTAVIYANTI DWI WAHYURINI, S.T., M.APPDESART, Ph.D, Senior Manager of ITS Global Engagement Office on Promotion and Mobility ITS, INDONESIA, and; MR. HECTOR J. GLORIA, JR. Director, Communication Resident Consultant, CHED – IAS, PHILIPPINES.

To further establish the newly formed Center for International Linkages and Affairs (CILA), Dir. Murillo has been continuously involved in major networking activities that brought together International Relation Officers and other college/university officials from the Philippines and abroad. These virtual events included: the Pathways to Opportunity: PH-US Partnerships Networking Events organized by CHED-IAS and the EducationUSA, US Embassy in the Philippines on September 18, 2020; the European Higher Education Fair (EHEP) organized by the Delegation of the European Union in cooperation with  the EU Member States’ Embassies and Cultural Institutes, and CHED on October 2-3, 2020, and ; the EduCanada Virtual Fair 2020 organized by the Canadian Bureau for International Education and the Canada Embassy in the Philippines on October 16-18, 2020.

To remain updated with the current trends, developments and practices along internationalization, Dir. Murillo has attended conferences organized by national agencies/institutions and international organizations such as the webinar “Sulong-Layag: Internasyonalisasyon sa Panahon ng Pandemya” organized by the University of the Philippines – Diliman Office of International Linkages (UPD OIL) on December 3, 2020; the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) General Conference on November 18, 2020; the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) APPLE 2020 Virtual Conference and Exhibition on November 25-27, 2020, and; the QS Reimagine Education Conference on December 2-11, 2020.

Currently, CSPC has ongoing discussions on conducts of various virtual collaborations which will be held in 2021 with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Indonesia, Politeknik Negeri Padang (PNP), Indonesia,  Daffodil International University (DIU), Bangladesh, Nanyang Technological University – Mistletoe – Project SHEA, Singapore, among others.

CSPC has also shared its various internationalization engagements during the Webinar on Internationalization of Higher Education: Initiatives and Prospects spearheaded by CHED Regional Office V on September 11, 2020 and has recently been recognized as member of SEAMEO School’s Network.

As the new academic year unfolds, CSPC is geared toward reviewing and formalizing its policies and procedures along internationalization. It expects to conduct international webinars and forums and virtual collaborative activities, including virtual exchanges, to provide international exposure to its students and faculty despite the pandemic. It will also be featuring its pool of invited international lecturers/speakers to provide talks on different topics to strengthen and enrich its various curricular offerings, anchored on United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals, Gender and Development and Ambisyon 2040 National Development Goals.

About the author

Vencel is the designated Content Writer and Social Media Administrator of CSPC. Concurrently, he teaches at the College of Computer Studies as Instructor I.