The CHED, under the leadership of Chairman De Vera, has undertaken a significant restructuring of its programs for Internationalization. In response, CHED-MIMAROPA, spearheaded by the Regional Director Dr. Jimmy Catanes, CESE, an Izn advocate, together with his team, Engr. Egdar Cepe (Chief EPS), Mr. Benhur Villanueva Jr. (EPSII), and Mr. Kenmark Hernandez (Izn, PTSIII), initiated an orientation-workshop on Internationalization (Izn) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) with Romblon State University (RSU) on August 14-15, 2024. The event, themed “Fostering Global Citizenship: Paving Way for International Impact,” perceived active participation from RSU, led by Izn promoter and President Dr. Merian Catajay-Mani, along with the Vice Presidents and Units for Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance, Research, Extension and Development, the International Relations Office, and other staff involved in special projects.
The workshop was primarily focused on enhancing the university’s performance in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings and the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI). Dr. Catanes underscored the importance of integrating Izn and GCED into the university’s daily operations. He emphasized that embedding these principles across various functions—such as OBE Curricula, Student Services, Extension Programs, and Research and Innovations—will significantly contribute to the sustainability of educational quality and the global competitiveness of RSU graduates. Additionally, Dr. Catanes highlighted the necessity of aligning projects and programs with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that many of RSU’s initiatives already resonate with these goals.
Furthermore, during the workshop, Dr. Catanes and Engr. Edgar Cepe (Chief EPS) provided expert feedback and recommendations on how RSU’s projects and programs could be leveraged for THE and WURI applications. Their insights aimed to enhance the effectiveness of these initiatives, ensuring that RSU’s contributions to global challenges are recognized and impactful.
The collective efforts towards Izn and GCED are dignified to make RSU graduates more globally competitive, moving closer to realizing this objective.
