True to its mandate of forging aggressive linkages, the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College expanded its network of partnerships with Asian universities.
With Dr. Rexton Chakas, college President present during the 16th Asian University Presidents’ Forum (AUPF),
several Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were
signed between the MPSPC and Asian university Presidents. Foreign partnerships include Asia University of Tokyo, Japan, Cambodian University for Specialization, and Daffodil International of Bangladesh. Local partnerships were forged with PanPacific University of Pangasinan and the University of Southeastern Philippines, Mindanao. The partnership covers exchange of students, faculty and researchers, academic information and publications, joint research activities, joint organizers of international conferences, and other exchanges of academic and cultural nature agreed upon by both parties. President Chakas says that the university partners are all developing educational institutions to “have an equal footing” with MPSPC and their programs were based on what MPSPC is currently offering. He explains that a linkage “should not be lopsided” but is a mutual exchange of resources and best practices with partner institutions.
The AUPF forum, held from November 21 to Nov. 23, was attended by 70 and foreign delegates and more than a hundred Philippine delegates. Anchored on the theme “Innovations and foresight: Education solutions for a better world,” the event provides an opportunity for partnership to foster educational dialogue and enhance professional interaction among universities and colleges. Furthermore, it is a platform for inspiring “collaborative thinking to enhance social responsibility and global strategic partnership from various leaders of Asia,” says Dr. Ester Ogena, President of Philippine Normal University, and this year’s AUPF host.
Since its inception of the AUPF in 2002, and for the past fifteen sessions of this forum, 1568 presidents, 730 universities from 26 Asian countries and regions participated through AUPF each year. Founding President of AUPF and honorary President of Chaoshan College, Dr. Mingying Zhuang avers that colleges and universities in Asia should become the driving force for promoting social progress and economic development in Asia as well as the highland of knowledge innovation and cultural construction. /Annie Grail F. Ekid
