Pamantasan ng Cabuyao holds International Education Summit
Renowned Asian speakers from the Philippines, Korea, and Bangladesh graced the International Education Summit held last June 25, 2021 via Zoom, with their expert lectures on issues affecting higher education institutions not only in Asia but also in almost all parts of the world.
Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr, the chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, talked about “Future-Proofing Higher Education” in which he emphasized the need for collaboration among higher education institutions, the local government units, and various organizations in order to help address the numerous needs of the HEIs most especially the students. He also underscored the need to invest in ICT for better system of instructional delivery but without neglect to incorporating critical thinking, ethics, and lifelong learning and maintaining human element in teaching-learning. He challenged HEIs to do all they can to lessen the digital divide and to make sure that those who do not have access to online learning will be given equal fighting chance to do well in school.
A world-respected educator, Dr. Jekuk Chang, the president of one of Korea’s most prestigious and multi-awarded universities, the Dongseo University, talked about “The Challenge of Learning Loss: What Educators and Education Leaders Ought to Do.” Talking about the most critical issue now facing educators across the globe, Dr. Chang expertly expounded about the phenomenon of learning loss along with other serious damages the pandemic has caused the higher education institutions. Dr. Chang mentioned that establishing online education and preparing course contents are the biggest challenges HEIs are facing today. Reduced enrollment leading to income loss, sky-rocketing costs to beat the pandemic, closures of HEIs, and the changing educational environment are some of the other major concerns of HEIs, Dr. Chang further explained. Among the proposals he made are to explore low cost but high quality educational delivery, establish shared economy, and incorporate AI-driven learning. More importantly in his talk, Dr. Chang proposed a game-changing operation model for HEIs in Asia – the formation of Asia Alliance University (AAU). This can be achieved by adding more HEIs to Global Access Asia (GAA), adding more online courses in GAA for exchange credits, establish course development request system, and campus sharing agreements for bilateral dual degree program offering. Further, he challenged the Philippines as a potential start-up location with Korea or Thailand or any other member of AAU depending on the choice of the students, for transfer credit to complete remaining years in college education. This unique but timely HEI model of education alliance is sure to arouse interests of presidents of colleges and universities not only in the Philippines but elsewhere.
A multi-awarded educator and entrepreneur, Dr. Md. Sabur Khan, chairman of one of Bangladesh’s most successful universities, the Daffodil International University, talked about the “Educational Leadership: The Changing Paradigm.” Dr. Khan, awarded by the government of Bangladesh as the “Commercially Important Person,” acknowledged that educational leadership is in crisis given the enormous challenges HEI leaders are facing nowadays with 1.5 billion students worldwide or roughly about 20% of the world population adversely affected by this pandemic. About 90% of university presidents in his study expressed serious concern over their institutions’ financial future. However, he shed light on how education leaders ought to respond to these challenges. Enable physical education for better teaching and learning, support students mentally and academically, understand scenario with data analytics, update curriculum to focus on outcome based education, encourage impactful research and publications from students and teachers, create sustainable collaborative environment for the employees, and increase government support for educational sustainability were just some of the solutions that he offered to leaders and educators in the higher education.
Despite some technical glitches, the summit was an enormous success, attended by more than a thousand participants coming from various public and private colleges and universities in the Philippines and in some parts of Asia. The summit, now on its 2nd year, is a regular academic initiative of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao – Philippines (University of Cabuyao) that aims to bring together experts in education to deliver high impact lectures to students, teachers, and school executives.
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