October 17-18, 2024
In an effort to boost the international visibility of Philippine Higher Education Institutions, the Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC) in collaboration with the CHEDRO MIMAROPA recently held an orientation-workshop. The two-day event aimed to equip OMSC with the tools, knowledge, and strategies necessary to enhance their global presence, align their projects with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and apply for prestigious rankings like the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings and the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).
The event kicked off with introducing the concepts of Internationalization (Izn) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED)—two key ideas that help universities become more globally engaged and relevant. During the session, it was explained how these concepts are connected to quality assurance programs, Outcomes-Based Education (OBE), and Institutional Sustainability Assessment (ISA), which all contribute to making a university’s offerings competitive on the global stage.
A major focus of the day was also the WURI 2025 application, a ranking that evaluates universities based on their contributions to innovation and societal impact. CHED Team led by the Director Dr. Jimmy Catanes walked the group through the different categories of the WURI ranking, explaining the kind of projects and initiatives that make universities stand out in this global assessment. In the afternoon, OMSC’s participants, led by the President Dr. Elbert Edaniol together with the IRO Team headed by Dr. Harold Bautista, were split into groups based on their ongoing projects, and each group worked on filling out the WURI 2025 application template. This was an important exercise, as it gave OMSC the chance to assess their current programs and figure out how they could align them with the global ranking criteria.
Day two of the activity was all about fine-tuning OMSC’s projects to meet global standards. Each team from OMSC presented their projects for the WURI categories, such as “Sea to Site: Unleashing Seaweed Fertilizer for Rice and Onion Production in Occidental Mindoro”, “TUGKOYAN”, “Eskuwela sa Teknolohiya”, and “PISAR3A SA SELDA”. These projects, which tackle local challenges, were presented with the goal of showcasing how they could make a meaningful impact on a global scale.
After each presentation, Dr. Catanes, together with ESII Mr. Victor Conanan and PTSIII Mr. Kenmark Hernandez, provided feedback, helping the teams refine their project abstracts, backgrounds, and impact statements. The focus was on clarity, precision, and presenting their work in a way that would be compelling both locally and internationally. One key piece of advice from Dr. Catanes was to use catchy project names and localized terms to make the initiatives more relatable to both the community and a global audience. This feedback was invaluable in helping OMSC understand how to present their projects more effectively in the context of global rankings like WURI.
Later in the day, the discussion shifted to THE Impact Rankings. CHED Team explained how this ranking assesses universities based on their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are global objectives aimed at addressing challenges like poverty, inequality, and climate change. The SDGs serve as a guide for universities to measure their societal impact and align their projects with global priorities. The participants were given time to work on the THE Impact Ranking template, which required them to document their university’s policies, initiatives, and outcomes related to the SDGs.
The event at OMSC has opened up new possibilities for the institution. By aligning their projects with global rankings and the SDGs, they are positioning themselves as a forward-thinking university that is committed to both local and global impact. The knowledge and strategies gained during the workshop will help OMSC not only improve their applications for global rankings but also build a stronger, more sustainable future for their students, faculty, and the community at large. As they move forward with this work, OMSC is on the path to becoming a recognized leader in innovation, sustainability, and global citizenship.
