MAY-JUNE 2014

FORUM UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

sh a p i ng m i n d s t h at sh a p e t h e n at i on

VOLUME 15 NUMBER 3

ASEAN
2015
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN THE ASEAN
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
up.edu.ph

2 | Internationalizing the 4 | ASEAN Integration 6 | CHED Gears Up for

National University: The and Quality Assurance ASEAN 2015
UP President Speaks
O
n 7 October 2003, the heads of state of the ten
ThePhilippine
crafting of the ASEAN 2015 Action Plan for
Higher Education is underway.
(10) ASEAN countries signed a Declaration of

I n an interview with the UP FORUM, the UP
President shares his insights on international-
ization and what it means to UP as the national
university. In particular, he discusses (1) UP’s
purpose and how it contributes to the internation-
alization efforts of the higher education sector;
(2) the challenges in pursuing internationaliza-
tion; (3) UP’s strategies to pursue it; (4) key
points in the internationalization of higher educa-
tion institutions (HEIs); and (5) the impact of
ASEAN Community 2015 on Philippines HEIs.
UP FORUM: Why internationalize higher educa-
tion? What does internationalization mean to UP
ASEAN Concord II in Bali, Indonesia, to establish by
2020 the ASEAN Community. The ASEAN Com-
munity consists of three (3) pillars with the ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) as the goal for eco-
nomic integration, the ASEAN Security Community
(ASC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
(ASCC), which are expected to work in tandem by
the period envisioned. A subsequent gathering on 21
November 2007 resulted in the signing and adoption
of the blueprint to implement AEC by 2015. The AEC
blueprint provided the implementing mechanism to
transform ASEAN into a single market and produc-
tion base, a highly competitive economic region, a
Its development—only one in a set of tasks to be
undertaken by the agency—is in preparation for the
establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015.
ASEAN 2015, as it is more commonly known, rose
from ASEAN Vision 2020 proposed during the sum-
mit in 1997. This vision of the region as a “concert
of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living
in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in
partnership in dynamic development and in a com-
munity of caring societies” formed the concept of a
regional community.
It was not until six years later, however, that the
idea was given form through the signing of Bali Con-

2 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014
INTERNATIONALIZING THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY...
continued from page 1
as the national university?
For me, internationalization is about
adopting an international outlook and
aspiring for global competitiveness. Its
specific manifestations are evident in
increasing student mobility across the
world, the proliferation of academic
partnerships in education and research
among universities from different coun-
tries, the shift in the delivery of educa-
tion online and via other technologies,
the move towards international quality
assurance mechanisms and accredita-
tion of curricular offerings, and the
changing profile of faculty, students
and administrators, who can be recruit-
ed from any part of the world.
From the perspective of UP as the
country’s one and only national uni-
versity, I look at internationalization
as a means to enhance the University’s
capability to serve our country and peo-
ple. It is a strategy to help us achieve
our vision of UP as a great university
that has assumed leadership in help-
ing develop a globally competitive
Philippines. I believe we in UP can do
better and achieve more if we enhance
our collaboration with other leading
universities in ASEAN and the world,
and learn from their best practices.
But we should be humble enough to
face up to our weaknesses. We should
evaluate ourselves critically while we
benchmark externally. We must always
strive for self-improvement in our own
unique contexts.
For us in UP, we must seek to define
and promote a truly Filipino identity.
Our spirit and sense of nationalism
must be the driving force in setting
the direction of our teaching, research,
and public service programs even as
we internationalize. We must produce
a distinctly Filipino output of innova-
tion and creativity that we could banner
across the globe and proclaim as our
own contribution to the progress of
humanity. We must showcase the best
that UP can offer. Filipino learning,
intelligence, creativity, resourcefulness,
talent and industry in every field—these
are what we must bring to the table in
all our partnerships, research collabora-
tions, student and faculty exchange pro-
grams, scholarships and linkages. With
this perspective, we should be able to
reconcile nationalism with internation-
alization.
The leading public universities in
ASEAN, such as the National Universi-
ty of Singapore, University of Malaya,
“
We must showcase the
resourcefulness, talen
bring to the table in
and fa
core competencies and qualifications together in multidisciplinary, interdis-
for jobs in the region. At a minimum, ciplinary, or transdisciplinary teams
Philippine HEIs must ensure that to arrive at effective and practicable
Mahidol University, and Chulalongkorn
their curricula are consistent with the solutions.
University, all recognize the necessity
ASEAN 2015 qualification framework In UP, we have been promoting
of internationalization in a globalized
requirements. In addition, our local uni- interdisciplinary research for some time
world and reflect this in their develop-
versities must produce graduates with now. In an era of internationalization,
ment agenda while remaining com-
the capability to develop and assume we must be more aggressive in ensur-
mitted to their mission for their home
leadership roles region-wide in various ing that more of our academic units and
country.
fields of endeavor. faculty are engaged in interdisciplinary
UP FORUM: What is the impact of
UP FORUM: In a forum last year, research. To be specific, we provide
the ASEAN Economic Community
you mentioned three key points in grants under the Emerging Interdisci-
2015 on Philippine HEIs?
the internationalization of higher plinary Research Program (EIDR) to
The ASEAN Economic Community
education institutions. Please discuss make the breadth and depth of knowl-
will be formalized by December 2015.
each one. The first is the need to edge available in our colleges and cam-
This will signal the creation of a single
"move from a comprehensive lineup puses to bear on the complex problems
market and production base in the
of programs to niche programs." we face today. The outputs we expect
region, although full economic integra-
UP is a very comprehensive univer- are long-term (not short-sighted) and
tion will take some time to take hold.
sity. We have more than 300 graduate multi-faceted (not simplistic) solutions.
With economic integration, the expec-
and close to 200 undergraduate degree In addition, several of our constitu-
tation is that the ten ASEAN countries
programs. Surely, because of financial ent units have put in place more formal
will become more globally competitive
and other constraints, we cannot be, structures to encourage faculty mem-
as a group and be better able to achieve
or even aspire to be, excellent in all of bers from diverse disciplines to work
equitable economic development across
these programs. Competition is won on together. UP Los Baños, for instance,
the region. In support of integration, we
the basis of being better than the oth- has taken the lead with its 18 inter-
will see efforts at facilitating the free
ers. To be better than the rest demands disciplinary research centers. These
flow of goods, services, investment,
excellence. research centers bring together experts
and capital and the free movement of
It is true that over recent years UP from different fields to work together
business persons and skilled labor,
has been able to enjoy increases in bud- and address issues on food security and
including professionals.
get support from the government and to climate change, among others.
The term “services” covers edu-
generate additional revenues from other In our general education program, we
cation; thus, integration may allow
sources. But we still have problems in continue to develop courses that weave
foreign schools, say from Malaysia, to
achieving excellence in all our degree together different disciplines to prepare
set up shop in the Philippines and vice
programs. The cost of recruiting, devel- our graduates for the complex world
versa. As a result, our Philippine higher
oping, and retaining excellent faculty beyond the university. The Science
education institutions (HEIs) may
members is a challenge. So we must Society Program of UP Diliman, for
face competition from regional outfits
be selective in our academic offerings. example, runs the Science, Technology,
right here in our home ground, and at
We must streamline our programs; and Society course which is aimed at,
the same time have the opportunity
we must keep only those in which we among others, helping “the student gain
to expand operation via a presence in
have the relative strength and com- a better understanding of the nature, as
another ASEAN country.
petitive advantage in terms of faculty well as the cultural and political sig-
To facilitate the movement of profes-
members, physical facilities, research nificance of mathematics, science and
sionals within the region, the ASEAN
funding, and academic reputation. Our technology.”
countries are entering into mutual
move must be tempered, of course, by The types of jobs our graduates will
recognition agreements for profes-
strategic considerations. We may have face in the workplace after gradua-
sional qualifications. Seven fields will
to maintain domestically oriented pro- tion demand broader perspectives.
be covered initially by these agree-
grams that are of strategic importance They need to have an appreciation of
ments: engineering, nursing, architec-
to the country. the linkages of their majors with other
ture, accountancy, medicine, dentistry
UP FORUM: What about the need to disciplines. Whatever programs we of-
and surveying. Many Philippine HEIs
transition "from disciplinal enclaves fer, we should be able to develop in our
produce graduates in these disciplines;
to multidisciplinary, interdisciplin- students a good understanding of how
these institutions, including UP, must
ary, and transdisciplinary approach- their area of specialization relates, sup-
ensure that the graduates they produce
es"? ports, and is supported by other fields.
meet not just the national, but also the
Excellence in one’s field of special- UP FORUM: The third key point you
regional qualification requirements.
ization is important, particularly in raised in that forum is the need to devel-
With an integrated ASEAN, we
tackling a specific aspect of a problem op and increase the number of "competi-
expect that the advantage of our gradu-
or issue. But nowadays, specialists sel- tive programs for student mobility."
ates will somehow be challenged by
dom work alone in addressing big chal- Student mobility is our way of
graduates of universities from other
lenges, which are invariably complex— enabling our own students to experi-
ASEAN countries. We expect to see
e.g., climate change mitigation, disaster ence what is going on in the rest of the
greater competition among graduates
management, food security, energy region and the world. We must provide
of ASEAN universities for jobs in the
sufficiency, universal health care, etc. them the opportunity to spend at least
home country and elsewhere in the
Researchers of different disciplinal a semester in another environment.
region. Thus, UP and other Philippine
expertise must collaborate and work continued on page 3
HEIs must develop in their graduates

e best that UP can offer. Filipino learning, intelligence,
nt and industry in every field—these are what we must
all our partnerships, research collaborations, student
aculty exchange programs, scholarships and linkages.
INTERNATIONALIZING THE NA-
TIONAL UNIVERSITY...
continued from page 2
There are many reputable universities
in the region that will attract our stu-
dents. UP itself should be attractive to
students from other universities in the
region, particularly in areas where we
have a long established reputation—
English, humanities and the arts.
When we send our students abroad,
they will experience and learn from
different cultures. When we get foreign
students into our classrooms, they will
learn about the Philippines. Our local
students who will be interacting with
them in our campuses will also learn
about the home countries of our guest
students. This will help develop in our
local students the capability to deal
with other cultures and give them a
head start as they prepare for leadership
in an integrated ASEAN region.
UP FORUM: How is UP develop-
ing this "attractiveness" to foreign
students? It has invested heavily in
the sciences but the participation of
foreign students in the University is
more noticeable in the social, cul-
tural, and artistic fields.
Indeed we’ve been investing a lot to
improve the quality of our science and
engineering programs—sometimes to
a point where we become unable to
maintain our reputation in areas where
we have the historical edge, like the
arts, humanities, and social sciences. It
should be noted, however, that foreign
graduate students in UP in the fields of
basic and applied sciences have been
increasing and academic productivity
of UP in these fields has also been ac-
celerating.
Under my administration, we’re
rebalancing the funding support across
disciplines. We’re now also commit-
ting resources to areas outside the
science and technology circle. This
year 2014, for instance, we’re investing
close to P400 million of UP’s capital
outlay budget from the government in
a Cultural Infrastructure Development
Program (CIPD). Under the CIDP, we
are building or rehabilitating auditori-
ums, theaters, galleries, museums, and
libraries for social sciences, humanities
and the arts in our campuses across the
UP System.
UP FORUM: What are UP's strate-
gies in pursuing internationalization?
Our strategic plan for UP calls for
intensifying internationalization. Let
me explain some of the strategies we’re
pursuing to achieve this.
UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 3
”
UP has been around for more than a
hundred years and is accepted as the
country’s premier university here and
abroad. It is also seen as the face of
the Philippine higher education. While
maintaining visibility across the world,
UP’s image has been suffering from its
relatively low ranking in the league of
Asian and world universities.
Academic reputation is an important
factor in our international standing.
To give this a boost, we must pursue
actions to that will enhance the recogni-
tion given to UP in regional and global
academic circles. Thus, we’re funding
more of our faculty to present papers
and research outputs in international
conferences abroad. We’re cooperat-
ing with regional and global partners in
hosting high profile international con-
ferences here. We’re making substantial
improvements in the academic content
of our websites, exerting efforts to
showcase our academic achievers and
R&D accomplishments, among others.
While helping make UP better known
to others, all these activities also have
the collateral value of attracting new
international partners and collaborators
for UP and sensitizing our faculty to
academic developments in the Univer-
sity and the outside world.
To intensify internationalization, we
must internationalize our academic
programs. We’re doing this through
partnerships with select foreign univer-
sities for joint degree, sandwich, and
accelerated graduate programs. UP Los
Banos, for example, is now organizing
joint degree programs with a couple
of universities from other ASEAN
countries.
To facilitate international collabo-
rations, we’ve shifted our academic
calendar to an August start beginning in
2014. This makes our calendar in better awards for publications in high quality are already with us. We’ve increased
synch with our partner universities in international journals. We’re incentiv- the funding of our faculty development
ASEAN and the rest of the world. Take izing the transformation of UP jour- program so we can provide fellowships
note that Malaysian and Thai universi- nals into e-journals to achieve a wider to more of our young faculty members
ties have also gone through the exercise international readership. We’re seeking for doctoral studies and post-doc pro-
of shifting their calendar earlier. and supporting active research collabo- grams abroad.
With the adoption of the K to12 pro- rations with top foreign universities. It is unlikely that we’ll consider the
gram in the Philippine basic education Internationalization provides oppor- option of employing foreign adminis-
system, we’re reviewing our General tunities for higher education institu- trators in UP any time soon. Quite apart
Education (GE) Program to address tions to improve their faculty, student, from legal constraints, there are cultural
possible redundancies given the addi- and administrator profiles because of factors that might prove to be formi-
tional two years of secondary school. In the possibility of recruiting from any dable barriers.
the review, we’re taking the opportuni- part of the world. In UP, recruitment To facilitate student exchanges
ty to develop advanced GE courses that of professors from abroad is directed with other ASEAN countries, UP has
could help better prepare our college mainly, though not exclusively, to become an active participant in the
graduates for graduate studies as well foreign-trained UP alumni and other ASEAN International Mobility for Stu-
as for regional leadership in ASEAN. Filipinos who are interested in coming dents (AIMS) program of the Southeast
We must also internationalize our back to the country. We have a package Asian Ministers of Education Organiza-
R&D and creative work in UP. We of incentives to attract such returnees. tion (SEAMEO) as well as in the stu-
do this by providing larger monetary We don’t, of course, neglect those who continued on page 10
4 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014
ASEAN INTEGRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE...
continued from page 1
Marilou G. Nicolas
region of equitable economic develop-
ment, and a region fully integrated into
the global economy.
While the focus is economic, the
five (5) core elements also include the
free flow of services and free flow of
skilled labor. The blueprint specified
the implementation of mutual recogni-
tion agreements (MRA) for various
services including accountancy, tour-
ism, engineering, architecture, medical,
nursing and dental practices and other
professional services by 2015. It also
mandated the ASEAN Universities
Network (AUN) to enhance coopera-
tion among member universities and
facilitate the mobility of both students
and staff within the region. At the core
of the MRAs and student and staff mo-
bility in the region is quality assurance
(QA). QA is expected to ensure that
educational standards are harmonized
and benchmarked among universities in
the region.
Both the ASCC and the AEC treat
education, particularly higher educa-
tion, as the core action line to promote
integration through enhanced human
resource development in the region.
While there are other dimensions in the
ASCC, a major concern is promoting
educational cooperation to narrow the
development gaps in the region, prepare
the youth for regional leadership and
increase the competitiveness of ASE-
AN nationals. The vision for education
under the AEC comprises development
of national skills framework that aligns
with the ASEAN skills recognition
framework, promotion of better student
and professional training, as well as
skilled workers mobility, and develop-
ment of an ASEAN competency-based
occupational standards for benchmark-
ing in connection with mutual recogni-
tion. The ASEAN Qualifications Refer-
ence Framework (AQRF) will enable
comparisons of qualifications to help in
cross-border skills recognition and hu-
man resource development
for other services as well.
What is quality
assurance?
The UNESCO Regional
Report of Asia and the Pa-
cific defines quality assur-
ance in higher education as
the systematic management
and assessment procedures
to monitor performance of
higher education institu-
tions. Quality considers
all aspects of education—
from teaching and aca-
demic study programmes,
research and scholarship,
staffing, students, infra-
structure and facilities, ser-
vices to the community and
the academic environment.
Internal self-evaluation and
external review, conducted
openly by independent special-
ists, if possible with international
expertise, are vital for enhancing
quality.
The UNESCO General Educa-
tion Quality Analysis/Diagnosis
Framework (GEQAF) (http://www.
unesco.org/new/en/education/
themes/strengthening-education-
systems/quality-framework/struc-
ture/) describes four key elements
(conceptual framework shown below)
that are interactive and iterative to en-
able provision for quality education and
effective learning experiences. The key
elements include (1) the development
goals “that guide the key outcomes of
an education system, (2) the desired
aca-
outcomes of this system, (3) the core
demic
processes and (4) core resources that
staff, stu-
produce these outcomes as well as
dents and learn-
support mechanisms that enable the
ing environment—
production of the outcomes.” Thus,
that must be put in place to
educational programs are instituted
support the main purpose of educa-
to meet the human resource needs to
tion. (See Figure 1.) access to quality education ensured
achieve the country’s vision and devel-
A continuous review of develop- through quality assurance. Quality
opment goals. The desired outcomes
ment goals vis a vis world and regional assurance “has become an important
should answer the question “what
developments also necessitates con- global trend” primarily because of (1)
are we educating for; i.e., what kind
tinuous assessment of the quality and the increase in the number of higher
of graduates should our educational
relevance of our educational programs. education providers across the world,
programmes produce in order for our
In 1998, during the world conference which resulted in greater competition
country to achieve its vision of national
on higher education, delegates adopted for student clientele, which in turn
development?” Desired outcomes
the world declaration on higher educa- increased the potential for “academic
therefore should clearly define the com-
tion for the 21st century, which pres- fraud such as diploma-mill educational
petencies and lifelong learning skills
ents the shifting paradigms of the 21st institutions, fly-by-night schools, fake
of graduates/human resources needed
century higher education. It emphasized credentials from alleged higher educa-
by the country and determine the kind
the need for greater diversification of tion institutions”; and (2) the challenges
of educational processes that must be
education to match the skills demanded of financing educational institutions,
put in place to achieve these outcomes.
by new jobs thereby addressing jobs- political patronage and shifting priori-
These educational processes include
skills mismatch. It also included the ties of administrations, which can affect
learning as the central process, and
need for an increased awareness of the quality of higher education institu-
teaching and assessment as facilitators
the importance of education to socio- tions. Quality assurance is needed to
of this learning process.
cultural and economic development, ensure the trustworthiness of providers
The country’s vision and develop-
and for building the future with a of higher education. UNESCO also
ment goals therefore dictate the desired
new generation of young profession- noted that “quality assurance is linked
outcomes which in turn prescribe the
als with “new skills, knowledge and to professional mobility, and a grow-
appropriate educational processes that
ideals.” The digital age has provided ing number of regional and interna-
will subsequently determine the types
the technology to provide equitable tional integration processes. This raises
and quality of resources—curricula,
the need for more effective
mechanisms for the profes-
sional recognition of higher
education credentials”
(www.unesco.org/new/en/
doha/education/quality-
assurance-in-higher-educa-
tion/.
The ASEAN Universities
Network (AUN) describes
quality assurance as the
systematic, structured and
continuous attention to
quality in terms of main-
taining and improving
quality.
“AUN recognizes the
importance of quality in
higher education, and the
need to develop a holistic
quality assurance system
to raise academic standards
and enhance education,
research and service among
Figure 1. A conceptual framework of the key elements of the UNESCO GEQAF continued on page 5

ASEAN INTEGRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE...
continued from page 4
AUN member universities. In 1998, it
mooted the AUN-QA initiative, which
led to the development of AUN-QA
models. In the last decade, AUN-QA
has been promoting, developing, and
implementing quality assurance prac-
tices based on an empirical approach
where quality assurance practices are
shared, tested, evaluated, and im-
proved.” (Source: ASEAN Universities
Network Quality Assurance: Guide
to AUN Actual Quality Assessment at
Programme Level)
Tasked with providing the mecha-
nism to facilitate the mobility of
students and staff within the region, the
ASEAN University Network (AUN)
members undertook assurance of qual-
ity education among the programs of its
member institutions. In response to the
provision of the World Declaration on
Higher Education for the 21st Century,
and in recognition of the “importance
of quality in higher education, and
the need to develop a holistic quality
assurance system to raise academic
standards and enhance
education, research
and service among
its members,” the
AUN formulated the
AUN-QA models.
These have been
tested, evaluated
and improved over
time. The AUN-QA
models comprise
strategic (QA at
institutional level),
systemic (internal
QA) and tacti-
cal (program level
QA) dimensions.
The models are
applicable to the
diverse character of
the AUN member
universities and
are aligned to both
regional and inter-
national quality as-
surance frameworks.
The AUN-QA mod-
els also recognize
that quality in higher
education is mul-
tidimensional and
should embrace all
its functions and activi-
ties such as teaching, research, staffing,
students, academic programmes, infra-
structure and the academic environment
with special attention to specific institu-
tional, national and regional contexts to
Figure 2. The PDCA or Deming cycle of quality assessment
UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 5
take into account diversity in the region
and avoid uniformity.
Quality assurance in the AUN con-
texts takes into consideration account-
ability that is related to processes—i.e.,
whether minimum standards are in
place, and development that is related
to academic developmental goals an-
chored on its strengths and weaknesses.
Both accountability and development
are evaluated internally—i.e., through
internal QA (IQA) which “ensures that
an institution, system or study pro-
gramme has policies and mechanisms
in place to make sure that it is meeting
its own objectives and standards.” It fo-
cuses on the quality of inputs, processes
and output. IQA is a system that checks
on the presence of mechanisms that
control and ensure the level of quality
in higher education.
The first step in internal QA is the
preparation of the self- assessment
report (SAR). The SAR provides
an opportunity for the institution to
determine whether it observes quality
in instruction and its other activities. It
allows the institution to discover what
it is doing that is right, why they do
what they are doing, or if what they are
doing is done in the right way. It also
allows them to know if the institution
is able to comprehend the process of
what they are doing, realize whether
what they are doing is what they want
or want to achieve. The SAR thus
evaluates the following: (1) expected
learning outcomes (goals and objec-
tives), (2) programme specification ,
(3) programme structure and content
(curriculum), (4) teaching and learning
strategy, (5) student assessment, (6)
academic staff quality, (7) support staff
quality, (8) student quality, (9) student
advice and support, (10) facilities and
infrastructure, (11) quality assurance
of teaching and learning process, (12)
staff development activities, (13) stake-
holders feedback, (14) output, and (15)
stakeholders satisfaction.
The making of the SAR is time-con-
suming and should involve all the staff
and personnel. It looks for and discov-
ers information that exists but has not
been documented or compiled and al-
lows a programme to address gaps and
plan for the future.
External QA is conducted either by
individuals or an organization outside
the institution. Assessors must act
independently, must have no conflict
of interest and must be accepted by the
faculty of the program to be assessed.
Assessors evaluate the process, opera-
tions, systems or programmes of the
institution to determine if they meet the
agreed upon standards.
“The purpose of the assessment is not
about the assessment ratings but rather
the continuous improvement of the QA
system implemented. As the assess-
ment will be based mostly on objec-
tive evidences, it is important that the
university has prepared a well written
SAR and get ready all key documents
and records for assessment. This docu-
ment will allow assessors to look at
the history of the program, the perfor-
mance of its students, employability
and feedback from all stakeholders, the
quality of academic and support staff,
etc.” Planning and quality assessment
follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act or De-
ming cycle as shown in Figure 2.
ASEAN Integration will bring about
(1) greater mobility of human resourc-
es, (2) demand on competitiveness and/
or quality of graduates and programs
and (3) greater regional cooperation on
education and research. For us to be
successfully integrated into the ASEAN
economy, our educational system
should provide graduates with the
requisite skills for the changing labor
market. Already the vibrant production
processes across the region have re-
sulted in changing demands for skills in
industries particularly in IT, health and
services. In response to these dynam-
ics, we have to have a flexible domestic
labor force that is well prepared. The
mutual recognition agreements of
professional qualifications will have
significant implications for both our
basic and higher educations. These
will impact on our national vision for
educating our young generations, the
content that will be taught in educa-
tional systems, the teaching methodolo-
gies and learning processes, quality
assurance of teaching and learning, the
development of technical-vocational
education and training, qualification
recognition arrangements and system-
wide policies and planning such as
investment in education, balance and
priority for program offerings.
For higher education, our systems
should also prepare for new types of
international students or the so-called
“glocal” students. Glocal students are
those who have global aspirations but
prefer to stay in their home country
or region for education. Transnational
education is becoming popular and will
increase both inbound and outbound
students encouraged by provisions on
student and staff mobility. ASEAN
is home to about 600 million people
continued on page 7
6 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014
CHED GEARS UP...
continued from page 1
Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
cord II. Four more years passed before
the Cebu Declaration on the Accelera-
tion of the Establishment of an ASEAN
Community by 2015 was signed during
the organization’s 12th summit.
In a CHED briefing paper released by
its International Affairs Service (IAS)
in March 2014, Chairperson Patricia
Licuanan admitted that the country
needs to “catch up with the much earli-
er preparations of its ASEAN partners.”
Apart from the action plan, Licuanan
said the following need to be accom-
plished: (1) a policy framework for the
"Internationalization of Higher Educa-
tion," (2) the inclusion of more Philip-
pine universities in the ASEAN Univer-
sity Network (AUN), (3) participation
in the ASEAN International Mobility of
Students (AIMS) Program, and (4) the
development of a better credit trans-
fer system and "Diploma Supplement
which will enable the comparability of
Philippine higher education with those
of other countries."
ASEAN 2015 is based on three pillar
communities: political and security,
economic, and socio-cultural. CHED,
along with the Department of Educa-
tion and the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority, fall un-
der the third pillar. The lead Philippine
agency in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural
Community (ASCC) is the Department
of Social Welfare and Development.
Two key elements in the ASCC Blue-
print, adopted in 2009, guide CHED’s
efforts toward ASEAN 2015—promot-
ing human development and building
the ASEAN identity. The IAS docu-
ment, “The Role of Philippine Higher
Education in ASEAN Community
Building 2015,” enumerates CHED
initiatives as of 10 March 2014:
• Development of ASEAN 2015
Roadmap for Higher Education
• Inclusion of Mindanao State
University-Iligan Institute of Tech-
nology in the AUN-Southeast Asia
Engineering Education Develop-
ment Network
• Hosting of AUN regional confer-
ences
• Adoption of the University Mobil-
ity in Asia and the Pacific Credit
Transfer Scheme
• Hosting the 7th AIMS Review
Meeting
• Participation in ASEAN Quali-
fications Reference Framework
(AQRF) meetings and ASEAN-
Australia-New Zealand Free Trade
Area-Economic Cooperation Work
Programme workshops
• Conduct of AQRF workshop
• Participation in ASEAN Quality As-
surance Network meetings
• Inclusion in the ASEAN Citation
Index
• Publication of “Enhanced Policies
and Guidelines on Student Affairs
ad Services”
• Distribution of electronic copies of
the “Guidelines for Accommodat-
ing PWDs in Post-Secondary and
Tertiary Institutions”
• Co-hosting the 6th International
Conference on Humanoid, Nano-
technology, Information Technol-
ogy, Communication and Control,
Environment, and Management
with De La Salle University
• Co-hosting the 1st ASEAN Future
Teachers’ Camp with the Philippine
Normal University (PNU)
• Preparation of the “Revised Poli-
cies, Standards, and Guidelines
(PSGs) on the Student Internship
Abroad Program”
• Signing of memoranda with the Re-
public of Singapore, the Ministry
of University Affairs of Thailand,
and the Ministry of Education and
Training of the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam
• Negotiating memoranda with Indo-
nesia and the Lao People’s Demo-
cratic Republic
• Framework for a typology-based
quality assurance system for PH
higher education
• Reformulated PSGs into an out-
comes-based education
• Implementation of the Philippine
Higher Education Research Net-
work
• A program for the adoption of a
school or college offering BS de-
gree in Chemistry
• 2010 CHED-UPLB Summer School
and Camp in Mathematics
• Campaign for the implementation
of the Special Program for Em-
ployment of Students
• Sustaining excellence in biology
instruction, research, and exten-
sion at the Institute of Biological
Sciences, College of Arts and Sci-
ences, UP ..Los Baños
• The CHED-IMSP Research Pro-
gram for Excellence in Mathemat-
ics
• Preparation and issuance of poli-
cies and guidelines on student
internship in local and international
companies
Photo from http://www.braincontour.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CHED-Philippines.jpg
• Faculty Development Program
• Gender and sensitivity training
• Gender and development planning
and budgeting
• Women Empowerment and Devel-
opment towards Gender and Equal-
ity training
• Harmonized Gender and Develop-
ment Guidelines
• APEC Diploma Supplement Work-
shop
• PSGs for Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration Prescrib-
ing Additional Electives on Service
Management for Business Out-
sourcing
• Agreement between CHED and
IBM on the offering of the Smart
Analytics program
• Celebration of the ASEAN Day
in partnership with De La Salle
University
• PNU held a commemorative
ASEAN flag raising ceremony
during its Foundation Day (the
International Affairs Service office
of CHED will recommend that the
same activity be practiced in all
SUCs)
Apart from these, CHED also car-
ries out the Higher Education Reform
Agenda 2011-2016, components of
which contribute to preparing the Phil-
ippines for ASEAN 2015.
These initiatives include, among
others, the establishment of a quality
assurance system for the Philippine
Qualifications Framework; the shift to
learning competency-based standards
or learner outcomes-based qualifica-
tions in the disciplines; revision of the
general education curriculum with the
implementation of K to 12; review of
graduate education and transnational
programs; close collaboration with in-
dustry in specifying competencies and
training of teachers in industry-oriented
disciplines; and embarking on the Phil-
ippine California Advanced Research
Institutes.
ASEAN member states recognize
the crucial role of higher education
in regional development. As the lead
Philippine agency, CHED continues to
work toward achieving a harmonized
higher education environment in the
region, which will ultimately contribute
to the realization of an ASEAN Com-
munity by 2015.
--------------------
Email the author at forum@upd.edu.ph.

ASEAN INTEGRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE...
continued from page 5
with a large population of young and
educable people. Harmonization of
the ASEAN higher education systems
will encourage student mobility, credit
transfer, quality assurance and greater
research collaborations among the
region’s 6,500 higher education institu-
tions of about 12 million students in
10 nations. ASEAN is envisioning a
Common Space of Higher Education in
Southeast Asia, very similar to the Eu-
ropean Higher Education Area created
through the Bologna Accords.
Already student mobility through the
ASEAN credit transfer system (http://
acts.ui.ac.id/) is being implemented
with member home universities com-
mitting to send at least five (5) students
yearly for at least one term in a host
ASEAN university. A working group
on mobility of higher education and
ensuring quality assurance of higher
education for ASEAN plus three (with
Japan, Korea and China) is being
discussed and the European Union
Support to Higher Education in the
ASEAN Region (EU-SHARE) will be
implemented to help the CLM (Cambo-
dia, Lao PDR and Myanmar) achieve
regional standards.
ASEAN shall become a market for
employment of graduates as well as
students seeking enrollment in the
world’s leading universities while stay-
ing in Asia or near their home countries
as so-called “glocal” students. Thus
various ASEAN governments have
poured in logistics and financial sup-
port to their universities to strengthen
the performance of their academic
programs in the area of teaching, re-
search and innovation. Competitive-
ness indicators are being used to assess
programs and graduates. ASEAN will
become a marketplace for globally
competitive graduates seeking employ-
ment and “glocal” students looking to
study in world-class universities while
staying near their home countries.
Why UP needs a quality
assurance system
The University of the Philippines
is the country’s national university.
Although there are 112 other state
universities and colleges, the UP has
always been considered the number one
university and gets the lion’s share of
support among all the public universi-
ties. Thus, through the years, there has
been no incentive among its faculty and
programmes about quality and continu-
ous quality improvement because of
the mindset that UP is still and will
always be the best in the country—i.e.,
there is no other university, particularly
public university, that can compete with
it. Ensuring the quality of programs
is left to the faculty of departments
offering the programs. Thus conflicts
of interests usually leads to internal
clashes within departments. Creation
of many programs is also left to the
faculty, with very minimal inputs from
various stakeholders (students, alumni,
employers, both public and private,
etc.) and is being done without evaluat-
ing existing ones for relevance, quality
and sustainability even if new programs
are scrutinized by various committees
and bodies such as the university cur-
riculum committees and the university
councils.
In the changing educational land-
scape, curricular review to incorporate
changes to make our programs region-
ally, if not globally competitive, must
be undertaken. Tracer studies, exit
interviews, industry partnerships and
stakeholders feedback—quality assur-
ance indicators are needed to assess
the competitiveness of graduates of
Philippine higher education, including
UP, against local, national, regional
and international institutions of higher
learning. Assessing the strengths and
weaknesses of programs with the
ultimate goal of focusing on fewer but
more focused programs, maximizing
our competitive advantage and em-
phasizing innovation rather than pure
teaching are im-
portant elements
that will help us
plan curricular
reforms in higher
education. Our
students, faculty
and administrators
must welcome a
paradigm shift and
develop a global
mindset with focus
on developing
competencies, em-
phasizing quality
and development
of soft skills such
as communication,
flexibility, initia-
tive and ability to
work with a team.
The national
qualifications
framework should
align higher educa- Figure 3. The Baldridge model for performance excellence in education. Source: 2011-2012
tion programs
to demands of
stakeholders and
our national vision for development, and
should provide measures for assessing
quality. Investments in human capital
and infrastructure, quality assurance
assessments, review of national laws,
stakeholders feedback and consultation
and a competency-based standards for
our professionals that are aligned with
the ASEAN competency-based occu-
pational standards are critical steps to
help us achieve competitiveness for our
educational programs and prepare our
higher education graduates for the influx
of well-educated nationals of ASEAN
and enhance further our image, percep-
tions, credibility, and influence.
The building of an ASEAN Com-
munity will also involve commitment
of the 10 countries to cross-sectoral
cooperation in education to narrow the
development gap between the more
developed and less developed coun-
tries. Thus we should anticipate and
prepare for greater partnerships or joint
programs and research collaborations.
UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 7
And while the shift in academic cal-
endar is a first step to providing an en-
abling mechanism for regional mobil-
ity, the inflow of students and staff will
still depend on the quality assurance of
our study programmes/curricula, the
uniqueness of courses that will truly
help others understand our culture and
the learning environment we provide.
The current UP administration has
taken the first steps in quality assurance
by having three of its undergraduate
programmes undertake quality as-
surance site visits and assessments.
Between the periods July 2013 to
January 2014, the BS Civil Engineering
and the BS Statistics programs of UP
Diliman and that of the BS Biology of
UP Los Banos were visited by ASEAN
and European assessors who conducted
a review of the self- assessment report
and supporting documents and pro-
cesses. The preliminary results which
were presented showed that these pro-
grammes more than adequately meet
the AUN-QA criteria of quality.
Education criteria for performance excellence
Quality assurance, however, cannot
be implemented without the involve-
ment of the entire system, thus the need
for total quality management (TQM).
Quality assurance starts with the leader-
ship understanding what desired out-
comes of the educational processes are
envisioned, including these outcomes
in the planning, focusing on provid-
ing stakeholders (student, faculty, staff,
alumni and employers) satisfaction,
and overhauling the system, if needed,
to ensure that processes and enabling
mechanisms are in place to effect a good
learning environment. It also involves a
continuous assessment and analysis of
existing systems for improvement.
Figure 3 provides the Baldridge
education criteria for a performance
excellence framework. The model
shows the direct and indirect effect
of the seven criteria in contributing
to quality management, performance
measurement and educational outcomes
of institutions.
Thus, the university submitted a
proposal for a consultancy visit to help
UP set up an internal quality assurance
system. The consultancy visit will also
help UP programmes formulate ex-
pected learning outcomes using the BS
Civil Engineering experience as case
study, since it has undergone ASEAN-
QA assessment. The proposal was
selected and a consultancy visit and
workshop by two quality assurance ex-
perts from ASEAN and Europe, under
the ASEAN-QAct will be conducted on
July 9-11 for administrators, i.e., Sys-
tem officials, chancellors, vice chancel-
lors, deans and faculties undergoing or
intending to undergo QA assessment.
In summary, quality assurance is pri-
marily a response to demand for greater
accountability and efficiency with regard
to utilization of public funds, the finite
human and institutional resources, and the
increasing requirements of various stake-
holders for quality education and training.
Quality assurance is a guarantee to var-
ious stakeholders, students and employers
that undergraduate and post-graduate
programs are relevant and responsive to
the developmental, social, intellectual
and economic needs of contemporary
societies. A QA system will also ensure
continuing review of curricula and how
these are being implemented, identify
current weaknesses and strengths and
plan for improvement. Finally, quality
assurance is linked to human resource
(student, staff, professional) mobility,
and a growing number of regional and
international integration processes.
--------------------
Dr. Marilou G. Nicolas is a professor of
biochemistry at the College of Arts and
Sciences, UP Manila. She is the assistant
vice president for Academic Affairs and
executive director of the UP Center for
Integrative and Development Studies
(UCIDS). She earned her BS in Chem-
istry, MS in Biochemistry and PhD in
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
from UP. Email her at malou69_99@
yahoo.com.
8 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014

Rates of Change
Two Univers
Andre Encarnacion
fo

T wo university presidents from opposite ends of Katipunan Avenue appear to be on

the same side when it comes to internationalization.
This much was evident when UP President Alfredo E. Pascual joined Ateneo de Ma-
Pascual noted that this stems from the traditional mandate of SUCs as publicly funded
institutions to put the needs of the people and the country first. He, however, believes
that SUCs need not take a step back from either the promotion of Filipino identity or
nila President Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin on 19 November 2013 at the Education Competi- serving the needs of the country to internationalize.
tiveness in an ASEAN Integrated Era forum. "In fact, our sense of nationalism will be the basis for us to achieve the Filipino
The event, which was held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City and distinctiveness in the world...If we don’t have this distinctiveness, we will be hard put to
organized by the University of the Philippines and PUBLiCUS Asia, Inc., featured attract researchers or tourists from other countries. Because there’s nothing different we
experts, leaders and policymakers to discuss how the country and its higher education can offer in our country. So we have to keep and nurture our nationalism as we play the
institutions (HEIs) can be ready for the changes brought about by ASEAN integration in international field."
2015.
Speaking on behalf of public and private higher education institutions, respectively, Number One
Pascual and Villarin highlighted both the advantages and the challenges their respective Another vital component of this paradigm shift is the move from a comprehensive
institutions face with the impending formation of a single market and production base lineup of program offerings towards developing niche programs. Pascual noted how the
within ASEAN. change could start with UP, one of the most comprehensive universities in the country,
While both leaders came prepared with a healthy amount of statistics and cases to which boasts of more than 300 graduate and close to 200 undergraduate programs.
support their claims, it became clear that in one important respect both private and "What is the number one university in Asia?" Pascual asked, for context. "It is a rela-
public HEIs faced this common conundrum: Beyond any necessary physical changes, tively new university (about 20 years old)—the Hong Kong University of Science and
how can the hearts and minds that run our country's HEIs be changed to compete with Technology." It has only five schools or colleges, but whatever programs they have in
the world's best? these colleges are reputed to be of high quality. "Size does not matter in terms of reputa-
tion," he reminded his audience.
Paradigm Shift This is more telling considering Pascual's observation that university rankings in
"We have to go through a paradigm shift," Pascual pronounced gravely. While his talk publications and citations were made on a per-faculty and per-paper basis, respectively,
was primarily concerned with the principles that could guide SUCs in navigating the supporting the claim that quality rather than quantity was the more significant element in
channels of internationalization, he also gave due cause and context to why Philippine making a world-class university.
HEIs should not be caught flat-footed by 2015. "I know SUCs, including UP, have very limited resources," Pascual said. "So we need
"Now the move towards ASEAN integration is happening within the context of to focus…we need to define the niche programs we can pursue based on our competi-
globalization," he explained. "There is a need to band together for the countries in tive or comparative advantage, based on the needs of our regional locations. And focus
Southeast Asia so that together as a region, we can be competitive globally." And with our resources on a few chosen niche programs to achieve excellence in them."
the creation of a single market and production base in ASEAN also comes the free flow "And with excellent programs, we can become competitive."
of services—more specifically, the free flow of professional services provided by the Closely related to this push to streamline program offerings is the need to move from
graduates of ASEAN universities. what Pascual called
Pascual said that with the mutual recognition agreements for professional qualifica- "disciplinal enclaves"
tions in place to facilitate the movement of professionals within the region, it has be- to transdisciplinary UP Vice-President for Public
come the responsibility of HEIs like UP to ensure that the graduates they produce meet and interdisciplinary audience addressed to UP Pr
national and regional expectations. approaches. "It is very
Seven fields will be covered initially by these agreements: engineering, nursing, clear that to tackle the
architecture, accountancy, medicine, dentistry and surveying. Many HEIs produce problems of the coun-
graduates in these areas. try and the world we
"With an integrated ASEAN, we expect that the advantage of our graduates will need to address them
somehow be challenged by graduates from universities and colleges from other ASEAN from many fronts and
countries," he said. Despite the current monopoly that local HEIs have on professional we need a combina-
and high-level executive positions, this situation may very well come under threat. tion of disciplines."
"With the opening of our borders within the ASEAN region and the freer flow of "In our research, the
professionals we expect competition with graduates from other universities in our re- funding we provide
gion, even within the Philippines—particularly for jobs in multinational companies...It's from the UP System
already happening (in the country)." is only for research
Filipinos are also losing their edge, particularly in English. Pascual recounted the proposals that are
story of a colleague who visited the University of Indonesia to do quality assurance on interdisciplinary."
behalf of the ASEAN University Network. "And she was amazed to see," he said, "that This would neces-
people from the faculty to the students that she dealt with...were very fluent in English." sarily mean bypassing
With these developments, and with the relatively humble ranking of Philippine one of the touchiest
universities compared to their peers in the other ASEAN founding member countries in of academic culture's
mind, Pascual offered the following principles local higher education institutions could offsprings—“turfing.”
"bank on" in their journey towards internationalization. "Academic depart-
"In a number of universities, including my university, there is tension between nation- ments have cre-
alism and internationalism," he said. "There is resistance from certain sectors to going ated strong parapets,"
international." Pascual explained, "to
 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 9

sity Presidents and the Battle

or Academic Hearts and Minds

Photos from the ADMU website, http://www.admu.edu.ph/ateneo-student-life/gallery

protect their turf." Because of this, it remains a constant challenge to get faculty mem- opportunity for them to strengthen both the institution and the quality of education that
bers to work together. it offers. "It is about being able to navigate and contribute to shaping our interconnected
"But in order to thrive in the complexity of the globalized world, our faculty members world."
should collaborate more" Pascual stressed. "If we are promoting cooperation between
universities, I think we should start with collaboration, say in education or research, The Five Challenges
among our own Philippine colleges and universities." Villarin then introduced the five points he presented to the Ateneo’s board of trustees,
Lastly, Pascual prescribed developing competitive programs for student mobility. which encapsulate what he believes are the major challenges facing HEIs in the 21st
These would be primarily composed of student exchange programs, inbound and out- century. Though some of them were not explicitly educational, they would later be
bound. In UP, this could be more easily achieved with the shift of its academic calendar shown to have components in which education could play a decisive role.
from a June to an August start. The first challenge is inclusive development. "I think the response to this challenge is
still education," he stated. "One, you want to destroy the feudal structure, the padrino
For and By Manila system, the PDAF—you want to destroy that? You educate. You let people finish."
"It's interesting," Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin noted, "that while Fred was speaking I was Ateneo de Manila's experience in mobilizing manpower and coordinating the relief
resonating with many of the points." And indeed, despite the distinct challenges faced effort in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda also taught Villarin a powerful lesson.
by private universities, his lecture hit several notes that harmonized with Pascual's. "If there’s one thing that Yolanda has been teaching us, it is the need for leaders, the
Villarin said that his overall vision for the Ateneo (he explicitly mentioned not being need for managers.
in a position to speak for all other private universities) began to take definite shape when "Tama na yung inspire-inspire. What we need is logistics-systems people. When we
Ateneo reviewed its strategic directions. were packing, we packed about 80,000 relief goods. And that was a logistics challenge."
When it came to identity, he and his colleagues identified two 'DNA' issues as being "Trucks were coming in at different times, yung supply chain hindi consistent eh.
related both in their primacy and their interrelation. These are publishing and interna- How do we get this to the pier to deliver to Leyte? It’s beyond physics. So we got advice
tionalization. from the different disciplines."
Internationalization, in particular, was something they took pains to emphasize. The second challenge was what Villarin called the democratization or "massification"
"(Any) university worth its salt has to be international. It cannot just be local. Any of knowledge in the 21st century. "You’ve heard of Coursera? You’ve heard of edX? Let
university by its very nature has to have broad horizons. Its reach cannot be just very me explain what this phenomenon is. If I want to study Physics 101 or Calculus, I don’t
parochial. We said we need to state it." have to enrol in UP or Ateneo, I can go to the Internet."
"Now I am sorry to say that Ateneo de Manila is no longer 'de Manila'—for Manila or The relative ease of access to knowledge that was previously contained behind the
by Manila. It has to be more. And that’s difficult." bailiwicks of academia has been a challenge even to climate experts like Villarin.
For Villarin, however, Ateneo de Manila's internationalization strategy is easy to Because of this accessibility, experts like him have to work harder to attain two vital
describe. "Increase our sense of global citizenship," he said. Despite what he calls both things—depth and breadth—with respect to the knowledge they have.
the country's "colonial history" and its proverbial "hospitality to the foreigners," it What experts could provide is a guiding light amidst the dizzying cornucopia of in-
practically remains formation. "You need people to actually shepherd others through this maze... Have you
an archipelago in its ever tried surfing one night, and how one branch leads to another, before you realize,
Affairs Prospero De Vera (left) invites questions from the forum's physical and mental Gabi na. Puyat na ako."
resident Pascual (center) and ADMU President Villarin (right). geography. "You need leaders who don’t go down that path. So the challenge here is to achieve
"Actually universi- greater depth and specialization while simultaneously developing synthetic expertise
ties can be one of the that can handle, rationalize, and process complex data in diverse ecosystems."
most conservative of The third challenge is international competition. And here, Villarin echoed Pascual's
institutions," Villarin call for HEIs in the country to seek their respective niches. According to Villarin, dif-
admits, "even though ferentiation is not only the underlying rationale for trade between economies, but also
they are free think- between universities across borders.
ers." (It's as if they "Kung pare-pareho tayong lahat (ng expertise), there will be no trade. Why will they
say:) Pinag-isipan na come to us? What do we have to offer? What is our cultural, geographic and natural
namin ito eh. Mar- advantage? That’s something we have to think about."
unong ka pa? Mas The fourth challenge is speed, specifically the rapidity of change in systems and so-
marunong kami. And cieties. This rapidity forces us to be "light, versatile and mobile." And this consequence
therefore this is the will require the mastery of what Villarin calls modularization and systems thinking.
challenge: how do "You cannot plan for something to last that long. Why? Because if you enter first-year
we move beyond our college now with this course, by the time you graduate from college four years from
narrow interests? The now, that course may not be needed."
challenge of interna- His response is not the adoption of radical methods, but a strengthening of funda-
tionalism vis-a-vis mentals. "What is the response? I say to enhance the foundation offered by the liberal
nationalism." arts and the sciences. Basic science. It will help us cope with the speed of change in this
In Villarin and century."
the Ateneo's case, He recalled his education as a physics major, which he credits with developing an
internationalization is "openness" to new knowledge because of its diversity. If, he said, his education was
never an end in itself. simply in an overly-specialized or narrow field, it would have made future adjustments
Instead, it presents an continued on page 15
10 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014

The AIM
INTERNATIONALIZING THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY...
continued from page 3
dent exchange program of the ASEAN University Network (AUN). The UP System
and our constituent universities have also signed bilateral arrangements with foreign
universities for student and faculty exchange program.
When it comes to regular foreign students, we’d like more of them to go into
our graduate programs and enrich our research and creative work activities. In our
undergraduate programs, we’ve been accepting foreign nationals as regular students
Andre Encarnacion
for many years now, but our current preference is for growth in number to come
from inbound exchange students who will spend a semester or two in UP while our
own outbound exchange students are spending their semester abroad. Given our
limited capacity at the moment, we deliberately hold down the admission of regular
foreign students into our bachelor’s degree programs. We do not want foreign
B orderless and diverse” were
the words that UP President
Alfredo E. Pascual chose to best
recruits to unduly displace Filipino applicants, of which only around 16 percent can
describe the world and the state
be admitted on average.
of higher education taking shape
Internationalization is also characterized by changes in the delivery of education.
within it. His audience, composed
Worldwide educational programs are moving toward the use of online and other
predominantly of delegates from
technologies to make teaching and learning a more efficient and effective process.
neighboring Southeast Asian
The UP Open University (UPOU) is very much in the mainstream of this develop-
countries, agreed.
ment with its web-based program offerings. Through UPOU, we plan to achieve
It was no surprise. Pascual was
a substantial growth in our enrolment with more students from other countries,
addressing participants in the 7th
including children of the millions of Filipino overseas workers.
ASEAN International Mobility
In our traditional classroom-based schools and colleges, we’re encouraging the
for Students (AIMS) Program
introduction of blended learning models that combine face-to-face sessions with
review meeting co-hosted by UP
computer-based methods. For this, we have instituted the Gawad Pangulo (Presi-
and the Commission on Higher
dential Award) for Progressive Teaching and Learning to recognize faculty members
Education (CHED) at Ang Bahay
who enrich course content and innovate in pedagogy.
ng Alumni last 8 May 2014.
With UP’s long tradition of public service, we have actively participated in
The AIMS Program is a part-
regional networks that promote civic engagement and public service, such as the
nership among Southeast Asian
Asia-Talloires Network of Industry and Community Engaged Universities (AT-
Ministers of Education Organiza-
NEU), AUN’s University Social Responsibility and Sustainability (USR&S) The-
tion (SEAMEO) member coun-
matic Network, and AsiaEngage to share our public service initiatives, learn from
tries. It began in 2009 as a pilot
other universities in the region, promote student and faculty exchanges and regional
project supported by the govern-
collaboration.
ments of Malaysia, Indonesia and
As we internationalize, we must work to achieve operational efficiency. We’re
Thailand, giving it the moniker
doing this through the implementation eUP, an integrated information system within
‘M-I-T.’
and across our campuses. The ICT network underlying eUP will provide the infra-
The SEAMEO Regional Center
structure support as well for innovations in teaching, research, and service. We’re
for Higher Education and De-
also strengthening our UP Office of International Linkages, coordinating with con-
velopment (SEAMEO RIHED)
cerned government offices to facilitate the documentation for foreign students and
served as the secretariat for the
visiting professors, and building quality housing facilities for students and faculty.
mobility program’s development.
UP FORUM: What are the challenges in pursuing internationalization?
Its aim was to cultivate global
A key to successful internationalization is quality assurance. We must make sure
human resources; inspired by the
the quality of our program offerings meet international standards. How can we be
belief that the mobility of students,
sure if our programs are indeed of international standards? We get an international
academics, researchers and admin-
panel to do the assessment. Simply saying we’re the best does not prove anything.
istrative staff will aid in establish-
We’ve started to do that under the auspices of the AUN, which has a quality as-
ing a “Southeast Asian Higher
surance assessment program. So far, we’ve subjected to such assessment two of our
Education Area.”
degree programs in UP Diliman—BS Civil Engineering and BS Statistics—and one
During its third review meeting
program in UP Los Baños—BS Biology. These bachelor’s degree programs have
held in Penang, Malaysia in 2012,
rated well, as we expected, and the suggestions for improvement from the rating
the original M-I-T member coun-
panels are quite useful. So it is not as if we have nothing to learn anymore. In addi-
tries agreed to its expansion. The
tion, for engineering, we’re working to get accepted into the Washington Accord so
program has since accepted new
that our engineering programs will have international recognition.
members as a means to accelerate
Internationalization is all about quality. Producing quality programs is hard work.
efforts to meet the needs of the
In addition to external quality assurance assessments, we have enhanced UP’s inter-
ASEAN Community by 2015.
nal system of academic assessment and development. Our faculty administrators are
at the forefront of the quest for quality.
Internationalization is an expensive process. We need to recruit and retain excel-
lent teaching staff to bring in foreign and foreign-trained Filipino academics to beef
up our capabilities. We need to have a richness of perspectives that can only be
achieved if we have diversity not just among students but among the faculty as well.
Internationalization requires big funding. And for public universities, the govern-
ment’s strategy is to concentrate public resources in a few institutions that could
be developed into globally competitive universities. This strategy must be fully
implemented now.
UP FORUM: UP's mandate, as stated in its Charter, is to "perform its unique
and distinctive leadership in higher education and development." How has UP
contributed to the internationalization efforts of the higher education sector?
With regard to internationalization, we in UP are still going through our own
learning process. As we learn, we gain more knowledge, insights, and experiences
that we can share with other universities in the country. Our programs will definitely
be available for them to learn from.
Even now, we’re helping sensitize the higher education sector with the chal-
lenges and opportunities associated with internationalization. UP has organized
conferences in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and
the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) to discuss issues related to
internationalization.
In my capacity as UP President, I’ve given talks on internationalization in con-
ferences and meetings attended by officials and faculty members of other higher
education institutions. Among the recent presentations I’ve made are: (1) “Greater
Heights through Internationalization” at Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute
of Technology in July 2013; (2) “Leadership in a Changing Educational Environ-
ment” at the Network of CALABARZON Educational Institutions, Inc. (NOCEI)
General Assembly in August 2013; (3) “Higher Education Competitiveness in an
ASEAN Integrated Era” at a PUBLiCUS Asia Forum in November 2013; and (4)
“ASEAN Integration: Implications for Management Education” at the Council of
Management Educators and Practitioners in the Philippines COMEPP) National
Convention in July 2014.

MS Programme
UP and the Future of Student Mobility in the ASEAN
The AIMS Program was officially born. What started as a pilot test among three
nations now includes seven member countries, with seven supported academic disci-
plines from the original five.
Global competitiveness, according to Pascual, is the primary challenge.
“For academics and education planners like us, the need to intensify our internation-
alization programs has never been more urgent.”
True enough, many of the members of ASEAN and its partners have been anything
but gun-shy in their response. From the reports of each member country’s delegates,
it appears that the push for internationalization in higher education in the region has
reached a fever pitch.
The AIMS Program has surely been a major catalyst in this affair. But what exactly
does it mean to be part of the program? What are the overall goals and benefits to
membership that inspired higher education institutions (HEIs) in the region to make
significant policy changes?
The AIMS Program
In the program overview, the M-I-T is described as a “multilateral mobility program
with regional scope.” Its successor, the AIMS, operates on similar principles. Its intent
is to allow 50 students from each representing country to be given financial support by
their governments to study for one semester in a university from a counterpart nation
in the programme.
When it comes to students, the AIMS operates on the principle of reciprocity. Send-
ing 50 outbound students per country is consequently met with the responsibility of
sponsoring 50 incoming students in turn. The inclusion of new member countries
means the proportional increase in the number of exchange students sent per year.
In addition, there are currently seven selected areas of study students can explore as
participants. They include hospitality and tourism, agriculture, language and culture,
international business, food science and technology, and the latest additions, econom-
ics, and engineering. These have been identified as common among participating
HEIs and strategic priorities for developing expertise in the Southeast Asian Region.
“We have been able to cover 600 students so far,” said Special Adviser to SEAMEO
RIHED Chantavit Sujatanond in her report, “inbound-outbound, from seven par-
ticipating countries. Our plan is by next year, to cover up to 10 fields of study in 10
countries.”
Due to the fact that some other countries in ASEAN may not be able to match up in
terms of the available funding, Sujatanond said that they would consult with several
agencies and organizations to eventually facilitate complete ASEAN participation.
This could also extend to ASEAN+3 (ASEAN with Japan, the Republic of Korea and
the People’s Republic of China) in a few years, if all preconditions are met.
Expected Outcomes
Besides the obvious goals of a united ASEAN in 2015, supporters of the AIMS Pro-
gram like Sujatanond believe the program’s expansion carries with it its own distinct
benefits. The program’s operational handbook specifies three specific beneficiaries:
countries, higher education institutions and students.
In the case of individual countries, the AIMS program intends to enhance the
profile and visibility of Southeast Asian higher education. A vital component of this
Delegates from various Asian countries gather at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, for the 7th Review Meeting of the ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS)
Programme, held in May 2014.
UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 11
enhancement is developing the capacity to deliver international education and build
the reputation of higher education in the region to encourage the entry of international
students.
Achieving this necessitates increasing the capacity of HEIs in the region to de-
liver international education. This could lead to the development of an international
atmosphere built on the experiences of both inbound overseas students and outbound
students upon their return.
Students on the other hand gain the opportunity to experience operating in an inter-
national environment and develop socio-cultural links with peers from other coun-
tries. The resulting student networks are described as “a great asset for the future.”
As Sujatanond hinted, the harmonization of higher education in the region is ex-
pected to develop a “multicultural space where people respect differences in culture,
language and religion while aware of the common values and unity of ASEAN na-
tions.” This comes with the more tangible benefit of training highly skilled graduates
with cross-cultural experience for a more competitive workforce within participant
nations.
The Competitive Shift
Inspired by the promise of internationalization programs in higher education like
the AIMS, it is no wonder several nations in the region have crafted ambitious inter-
nationalization policies with competitive budgets to support them.
This became apparent when delegates from individual AIMS Program nations pre-
sented their respective countries’ policies and strategies in the event’s plenary session.
Malaysia’s Director for Higher Education Jaafar Janantan, for instance, stated their
aim to become “the hub of excellence for higher education internationally by 2020.”
This would involve attracting 200,000 or 10 percent of all international enrolments
in higher education institutions by that year. Even today Malaysia stands as a formi-
dable force in international student mobility in the region, with about 50,000 foreign
students within its borders.
Indonesia, another country from the original M-I-T, the AIMS Program precursor,
also boasts of having taken considerable steps towards internationalization. Two of
these, according to Directorate General of Higher Education Dr. Widyo Winarso are
the Darmasiswa and the Beasiswa Unggulan programs.
First established in 1974 as a program to promote Indonesian language, art and cul-
ture internationally, the Darmasiswa has attracted nearly 4,000 students from over 97
countries by itself. The Beasiswa Unggulan, on the other hand, is a much more recent
creation, established in 2006 by the Indonesian government as a scholarship program
for foreign students with high academic performance.
And while the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) may just have been inaugu-
rated in 1985, it has also undertaken significant efforts towards internationalization.
One major step, said Head of the Higher Education Division Hajah Anis Faudzulani
Binti Haji Dzulkiflee, is the Global Discovery Program. This was launched in 2011
to offer international students a “taste of life in the culture-rich kingdom of Brunei
Darussalam.”
UBD has also partnered with a total of 79 universities and institutions worldwide,
many catering to study abroad and student exchange activity.
continued on page 14
12 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014

The ASEAN University Network

Demonstrating the ASEAN Spirit
in Higher Education
Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

E ven before ASEAN leaders during the Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December
1997 formulated the ASEAN Vision 2020,1 higher education institutions across
the region had unified their efforts to make the ASEAN Community a reality.
(although membership to the
AUN's thematic networks is
open to non-AUN members).
As stated in the Operational
The AUN Guidelines: "As a regional
The ASEAN University Network is an association of universities established in network, the number of mem-
November 1995 with the signing of its bers per country should reflect
Charter by the higher education of- a good balance of members
ficials of six member countries. The from each member country.
AUN is led by a Board of Trustees, There should not be a particular
and its Secretariat is based in Chu- member country with too many
lalongkorn University, headed by member institutions, resulting
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nantana Gajaseni in an imbalance for effective
as executive director. It currently cooperation and exchange.”
has 30 universities in 10 countries, Given the criteria, AUN mem-
including three from the Philip- bership has become a way of
pines—the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), and gauging the quality of a coun-
De La Salle University.2 try’s higher education system. A
The idea for such a network stems from the 4th ASEAN Summit of 1992. In that Rappler article dated November
Summit, it was agreed that ASEAN member countries must work to promote coop- 25, 2013 cites expanding the
eration by enhancing awareness of ASEAN among the people in the region through Philippines' membership to
the expansion of ASEAN studies as part of Southeast Asian Studies in university the AUN as one of eight ways
curricula and the introduction of ASEAN student exchange programs; to help develop Philippine higher education can
a regional identity and solidarity; and to promote human resource development in the prepare for the ASEAN econom-
region.3 The original intent was to establish an ASEAN university, but it was ulti- ic integration of 2015.7 UP Assistant Vice-President for Academic
mately decided that a network of existing universities would be more feasible. “Of course, we want more Affairs and Office of International Linkages
According to its website (http://www.aunsec.org/index.php), the AUN’s focus was [Philippine universities in the Director Rhodora Azanza
built on the ASEAN strategies in facilitating cooperation, which led to the establish- AUN], because the perception
ment of four key areas—student and faculty exchanges, ASEAN studies, information is that the best universities in
networking and collaborative research. ASEAN [are members], and
Under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint, the AUN is a key imple- we think that there are other
menting agency in promoting the establishment of an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Com- universities that can measure
munity (ASCC).4 up,” said Atty. Lily Freida T.
Unity in Diversity Macabangun-Milla, director of
the International Affairs Staff
With 30 different universities from 10 countries of varying stages of economic
of the Commission on Higher
development, managing diversity can be a challenge to the AUN.
Education (CHED).
"From highly developed Singapore, which has two universities that often place
For now, Milla asks that
well in international university rankings, to countries like Laos, which only estab-
the three Philippine AUN
lished its national university in 1996, the region is home to an eclectic collection of
member-universities "help
institutions…[C]ommentators say that the great diversity in education systems and
bring the other universities up
economic development across Asia presents different challenges," noted Liz Gooch in
to the [standard]. It’s like a big
an article for The New York Times in 2011.5
brother-little brother thing.”
However, while AUN Executive Director Gajaseni acknowledged the diversity
among ASEAN institutions, she also cited a cultural commonality. “Among the AUN Quality Assurance
universities we have the core values of working together for the benefit of the whole “I think it’s very important
region,” she said in the same article. that we improve our higher
For Dr. Rhodora Azanza, assistant vice-president for Academic Affairs and director education quality in order
of the Office of International Linkages of UP, unity in diversity is one of the AUN’s to ensure the quality of our
strengths. “The aim is really to have the different academics interact in this net- graduates,” Gajaseni said in the
work…we want to have more of this diversity considered.” The understanding and same New York Times article. CHED International Affairs Staff Director
appreciation of the cultural diversity among AUN members is precisely what is being The AUN initiated the Quality Lily Freida T. Macabangun-Milla
emphasized in the student exchange program, “so that students feel that we have this Assurance (QA) system in 2007
ASEAN community.” as a mechanism to uplift and enhance higher education standards
As for the differences among the AUN member universities’ stages of develop- among its members.
ment, Dr. Gajaseni in the same New York Times article said the more established Several Philippine universities that are not AUN members,
universities were helping the younger ones raise the overall quality of education. including Cebu Normal University and the Philippine Normal
As an example, Azanza cited the example of Vietnam’s universities, which, through University, have arranged to undertake the AUN-QA mechanism,
the support of the government, are working to boost their competitiveness. “The encouraged and supported by the CHED.
academe [in Vietnam] is very outward-looking,” she said, adding that recently Viet- “As director of International Affairs, I also want to find accredi-
nam National University officials underwent training from university officials in UP tation that is international so that we are not limited by the PAAS-
“because they want to learn from the other universities.” CU (Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and
UP, on the other hand, is also learning from the National University of Singapore. Universities) and PACUCOA (Philippine Association of Colleges
“That’s why we have a cooperation (agreement) with the NUS to train educators and and Universities Commission on Accreditation),” said Milla.
administrators in UP. We’re learning from each other. That’s the NUS approach—not “We have a long history of excellence in UP; what we need
only are we teaching you something, we will learn from you in return.” is to further enhance this,” said Azanza. “The bar of excellence
Membership must be raised, which is why we have to benchmark ourselves to
the other ASEAN universities.”
The original guidelines for AUN membership were based on the following criteria:
The process of accreditation is not without its challenges. In
recognition of the university's status as a center of excellence in priority disciplines;
UP, only a handful of programs have undergone accreditation by
faculty strength; experience in regional or international programmes; and existence of
the AUN-QA because the process can be expensive. According
adequate laboratories, libraries and other facilities.
to Azanza, accrediting one program can cost up to half a million
Under the Operational Guidelines for the Membership Enlargement of the AUN
pesos. Besides, the programs have to undergo internal asess-
updated in 2005, new member universities must fulfill the following criteria: they
ment by UP first.
must reflect a geographical balance of members in the region; they must be among
the leading universities in the country/region; they must promote research and schol- Internationalization
arship; and they must support a global outlook.6 However, steps have been taken toward establishing interna-
However, there is a limit to the number of universities that become AUN members continued on page 14

Asian Universities Move toward
Civic Engagement
U niversity civic engagement is today a real movement, a
trend that is taking off. It is a movement still in the early
stages of development, that is characterized by immense diver-
sity, and also by extraordinary vision and common approach
being taken in very different contexts."
This statement was delivered in 2005 by Robert M. Hollister,
founding dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship
and Public Service, Tuft University, USA, during an inter-
national conference convened by the university in Talloires,
France.1 It was the conclusion that emerged from a preconfer-
ence survey on civic engagement conducted among 25 univer-
sities from 24 countries across five regions.2
The 2005 conference created the Talloires Network, an inter-
national association of higher education institutions committed
to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of
higher education. Since then, the network has grown to over
320 members in 72 countries.3
The fall of the ivory tower
During the Talloires Net-
work's Global Leaders Confer-
ence held in Madrid in 2011, it
was noted that higher educa-
tion institutions across the
world are mobilizing their hu-
man and intellectual resources,
and increasingly finding ways
to tackle community and pub-
lic health problems, combating
poverty, promoting environ-
mental sustainability, and
enhancing the quality of life.
As the conference participants
declared: “Many universities...
are embedding civic engage-
ment as a core mission along
with teaching and research.
Around the world, the engaged
university is replacing the
ivory tower.”4
However, a global university
network can only do so much.
Hence, the Network chose to
work in collaboration with re-
gional university networks that
Former UP Asian Center Dean Carolyn focus on engagement, recog-
Sobritchea nizing the regional networks’
more detailed knowledge of
social and economic condi-
tions, the policy frameworks
and the institutional cultures
relevant to engagement in their
own region, with the global
network serving to comple-
ment their strengths.
Civic engagement in
ASEAN: ATNEU, AUN-
USR&S and AVYP
In October 2010, the Tal-
loires Network worked with
the Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM) to develop
the Asia-Talloires Network
of Industry and Community
Engaged Universities (AT-
NEU). ATNEU brings together
key regional stakeholders from
universities, industries, NGOs,
communities, and governments
to catalyze sustainable partner-
ships that address the social,
economic and environmental
challenges and improve the
quality of life for communities
UP Vice-President for Public Affairs
Prospero De Vera in the region.5
The ATNEU is currently
UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 13
AsiaEngage
Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta
chaired by UKM Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Industry and Community Partnerships
Dr. Saran Kaur Gill. It counts among its members Dr. Nanthana Gajaseni, execu-
tive director of the ASEAN University Network, and vice-presidents and directors
of universities from Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia,
and the Philippines.
Also in October 2010, the ASEAN
University Network (AUN) organized
the first “Workshop on University’s
Social Responsibility and Sustainabil-
ity from ASEAN-Japan Perspectives:
Sharing and Caring for a Better Com-
munity,” held at Burapha University,
Thailand.6 After the workshop, a pro-
posal emerged to establish the AUN-
University Social Responsibility and
Sustainability (AUN-USR&S) Thematic Network as a mechanism to enable AUN
member universities to cooperate on initiatives and to share ideas and best practices
with each other and with stakeholders both nationally and across the region.7
The ASEAN region also has a youth volunteerism platform, the ASEAN Youth
Volunteers Program (AYVP), which emerged in October 2011 following the success
of the ASEAN Volunteer Programme. The AYVP aims to drive youth volunteerism
and community development that involve young people between the ages of 18 and
30. All AYVP projects are underpinned by respect, understanding and appreciation
of ASEAN values, identity and multi-cultural diversity.8
AsiaEngage: Bringing it all together
With three university networks enabling civic engagement, what was needed was
a way to bring them together. Hence, during the May 7-9, 2012 Regional Confer-
ence on “Higher Education-Industry-Community Engagement in Asia: Forging
Meaningful Partnerships,” AsiaEngage was launched.9
Initiated by the UKM’s Office of Industry and Community Partnerships, Asia-
Engage serves as the regional community-industry engagement platform of the
ATNEU, AUN-USR&S, AYVP, their member-universities, and other stakeholders
across the region. According to its website (http://asiaengage.org/v2/), AsiaEngage,
which currently has 76 member universities from 20 countries, aims to “create op-
portunities for sharing innovative industry and community engagement practices,
developing a regional capacity for impactful engagement, forging collaborative
industry and community-based research, and driving learning prospects as well as
inspiring youth volunteerism.”
Areas for initiatives include climate change and the environment, social entre-
preneurship, health, education, heritage, and technology. AsiaEngage is headed by
Executive Director Dr. Saran Kaur Gill, UKM Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
Three Philippine universities so far are members of AsiaEngage: Ateneo de
Manila University (AdMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), and UP. These three
universities are also the only Philippine members of the AUN, and officials from
the three—including UP Vice-President for Public Affairs J. Prospero De Vera—are
also members of the AUN-USR&S Steering Committee. De Vera is also a member
of the ATNEU Taskforce and the AYVP Steering Committee.
During the 2012 regional conference, numerous examples were given of civic
engagement projects undertaken by ASEAN universities. From UP, Dr. Grace
Aguiling-Dalisay presented the UP Pahinungod Volunteer Program as a model for
engaged scholarship, and De Vera himself reported on the UP System’s efforts in
the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong as an example of university civic engagement in
disaster management.
The irony in UP
Clearly, awareness among Asian universities of the importance of civic engage-
ment—or public service, in UP’s case—has been growing. For De Vera, this high-
lights an irony.
“UP has a very strong and historic public service role,” he said. “Under Republic
Act 9500, we are the only public university that has a specific public service respon-
sibility. But while we have a lot of public service activities in UP, public service is
not given significant recognition in the University. We don’t incentivize it. So much
effort is given to research, to publication, to teaching. Public service is seen as an
afterthought.”
This is in contrast to the trend in other universities in the region, which have been
actively pushing for public service and civic engagement. The University of Indo-
nesia, for example, has made civic engagement one of the requirements for tenure.
Both the National University of Singapore and the Universiti Brunei Darussalam al-
low their students to do community work even in other countries as part of the cur-
riculum for as long as six months, with the universities’ full financial support. The
UKM itself was identified by the Talloires Network as a lead partner in establishing
the regional network because of its institutional leadership in the areas of industry
and community engagement.
“Other universities have been much more aggressive in promoting civic engage-
ment and public service, and that is why they are the ones taking a leadership role
continued on page 14
14 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014
THE AUN...
continued from page 12
tional standards in quality assessment
and accreditation.
“You have internationalization as an
input to quality. Internationalization is
not the goal. We have to raise the level
of quality of education so that we can
produce quality graduates who are also
competitive,” said Milla, who stressed
that all the reforms the CHED is cur-
rently undertaking are also intended to
prepare Philippine HEIs for ASEAN
integration and globalization.
Are the three Philippine AUN mem-
bers ready for an integrated ASEAN?
Former dean of the UP Asian Center
Dr. Carolyn Sobritchea says we are,
pointing out that UP and ADMU at least
have been beneficiaries of curriculum
development programs for years.
Still, much needs to be done aside from
boosting research productivity in UP.
“We need to undertake curricular
review and reimagine our curricular pro-
grams in order to prepare for the ASE-
AN economic integration,” Sobritchea
said, citing that most of our programs—
including Philippine Studies—are based
on research done in the US and Canada.
There is a need to review the avail-
able literature and prepare Filipinos to
focus on ASEAN scholars and expertise
instead of looking to the West.
For Milla, the challenges of inter-
nationalizing the Philippine higher
education landscape in preparation
for ASEAN integration involves not
just the Philippine HEIs, but the entire
system, including the Department of
Foreign Affairs, the Department of
Tourism, and all other agencies. It is
also important that questionable higher
education providers be dealt with, as
they can bring down the country’s
international reputation.
As for the AUN, “the Network
should really take an active role in
democratizing its membership, and
encourage more universities to engage
in discussions of the opportunities and
challenges brought about by economic
integration,” said Sobritchea. She
added that the AUN can encourage its
members to actively participate in tak-
ing on economic integration from an
academic perspective and to analyze
common issues such as disaster risk
mitigation and response, protection of
migrant workers’ rights, and drug and
sex trafficking; and to learn from the
experiences of similar regional unions
in Africa and Europe.
--------------------
Email the author at forum@upd.edu.ph
NOTES:
1 ASEAN economic community blueprint.(2008,
January).Association of Southeast Asian
Nations. Retrieved from http://www.asean.org/
archive/5187-10.pdf
2 AUN member universities.(n.d.).ASEAN
University Network. Retrieved from http://www.
aunsec.org/aunmemberuniversities.php
3 Singapore Declaration of 1992. (1992, January
28). Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Retrieved from http://www.asean.org/news/
item/singapore-declaration-of-1992-singapore-
28-january-1992
4 ASEAN socio-cultural community blueprint.
(2009). Association of Southeast Asian
Nations. Retrieved from http://www.asean.org/
archive/5187-19.pdf
5 Gooch, Liz. (2011, October 30). ASEAN
nations put education front and center. The
New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.
nytimes.com/2011/10/31/world/asia/31iht-
EDUCLEDE31.html?pagewanted=all#h[]
6 Operational guidelines for the membership
enlargement of the ASEAN University Network.
(2005, September 1). ASEAN University
Network. Retrieved from http://www.aun.chula.
ac.th/Miscellanous/Operational%20Guidelines.
pdf
7 Geronimo, Jee Y. (2013, November 25). 8 ways
PH higher education can prepare for ASEAN
2015. Rappler. Retrieved from http://www.rappler.
com/move-ph/issues/education/44519-higher-
education-sector-asean-2015-preparation
Members of the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme, which include UP officials, hold
a workshop for the development of a strategic roadmap for productive and sustainable
knowledge-driven, sports and post-disaster recovery volunteerism for AYVP in 2012 at
the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
ASIAENGAGE...
continued from page 13
in civic engagement. So even if we’ve
had a longer history and tradition of
public service, we’re a little behind
them currently,” De Vera said.
“We still need to do a lot of things
with public service in this university.
I’m not saying that public service
should be given more importance
than research [or teaching], but there
should be a balance... In [RA 9500],
all of these roles are important, but in
our policies, public service is given
less importance.”
Engaging with engaged
universities
When it comes to pushing for the
recognition of public service, policy-
wise, UP’s membership in AsiaEngage
is a step in the right direction.
“We’re able to gain from the experi-
ences of the other universities, and
we’re also able to share our activities,”
De Vera said.
Information exchanges and the
promotion of inter-university public
service activities can be conducted
through the regional platform. This
will enable UP and other Philippine
universities to learn from other Asian
universities and vice-versa, such as in
the case of disaster risk management
and climate-change adaptation.
For instance, universities, even
those from countries not normally hit
by disasters, “can go to UP and learn
firsthand by actually going to a disaster
area,” De Vera added. He foresees
the potential of the new UP Visayas
Tacloban campus, which will rise in
the new site in Sta. Elena, to serve as a
model campus on disaster risk manage-
ment and climate-change resilience.
“That can be one direction for UPV
Tacloban, because you cannot have a
better laboratory than that area.”
Asia Engaging: Challenges and
possibilities
For De Vera, the challenge for UP is
“really in terms of how committed the
University is to fully internationalize.”
Internationalization requires plenty
of resources, which other national
universities in the region receive in
the form of higher subsidies from their
governments. Acquiring the resources
to internationalize—to build facilities
such as dormitories and laboratories,
to nurture and produce PhDs among
the faculty, and to support world-class
research that would attract collabora-
tions with other universities—must be
UP’s priority.
In addition, doing public service re-
quires resources for transportation and
lodging needs of students doing com-
munity work, and to free up the time of
the faculty to do public service.
As for AsiaEngage, “I think the chal-
lenge is not in the openness and desire
for public service,” De Vera said.
“The challenge is really the cultural
differences when you go to the com-
munities,” because there are ethical
concerns to consider when engaging
communities.
AsiaEngage can serve as a mecha-
nism for universities and other stake-
holders—the communities, NGOs,
governments and industry partners—
to share lessons and experiences.
Through AsiaEngage, the rules and
protocols for doing community work
within the region can also be devel-
oped and shared.
“If UP continues to be actively in-
volved, and if we get more Philippine
universities to be involved [in AsiaEn-
gage], then the future will be bright,”
said De Vera.
“Many of the universities in the re-
gion actually look up to UP because of
our long experience in public service
and very meaningful public service
initiatives. We have an opportunity to
show a model for all other universities
in the region for national government.”
--------------------
Email the author at forum@upd.edu.ph.
NOTES:
1 Civic engagement: A global movement.
(n.d.).Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship
and Public Service, Tufts University. Retrieved
from http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/about/dean-
rob-hollister/publications-and-presentations/
civic-engagement-a-global-movement/
2 Hollister’s presentation of the survey results is
found in the Talloires Conference 2005 Report,
which is available at the Talloires Network
website [http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/wp-
content/uploads/TalloiresReport.pdf].
3 Who we are.(n.d.).The Talloires Network:
Tufts University. Retrieved from http://
talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/who-we-ar/
4 Hollister, Robert M., Pollock, John P., Gearan,
Mark, Reid, Janice, Stroud, Susan, & Babcock,
Elizabeth. (2012). The Talloires Network:
A global coalition of engaged universities.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and
Engagement, 16(4), 81. Retrieved from http://
talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/
Talloires-Network-JHEOE.pdf
5 A b o u t AT N E U . ( n . d . ) . A s i a E n g a g e :
UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia. Retrieved
from http://asiaengage.org/v2/about-atneu/
6 About AUN USR&S. (n.d.).AsiaEngage:
UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia. Retrieved
from http://www.asiaengage.org/about-aun-
usrs/
7 AUN-URS&S at-a-glance.(n.d.).ASEAN
University Network. Retrieved from http://www.
aunsec.org/aunusrs.php
8 About the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme.
(n.d.).AsiaEngage: UniversitiKebangsaan
Malaysia. Retrieved from http://asiaengage.
org/v2/about-the-asean-youth-volunteer-
programme/
9 About AsiaEngage.(n.d.).AsiaEngage:
UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia. Retrieved from
http://asiaengage.org/v2/about-asiaengage/
THE AIMS PROGRAMME...
continued from page 11
Similarly, Japan, the most recent
country to sign a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) with
SEAMEO RIHED, has seen a
recent rise in students studying at
universities outside the US. More
than 37, 000 were recorded in
2010, while the total number of
foreign students in Japan numbered
nearly 140, 000 that same year.
The Philippines, according to
data presented by Director III
Atty. Lily Freida Macabangun-
Milla of the Commission on
Higher Education, has some ways
to go before catching up with
some of its neighbours. It record-
ed a total of 7,785 foreign students
for 2012-2013.The country has
five universities in the AIMS Pro-
gram: UP, Ateneo de Manila, De
La Salle, the University of Santo
Tomas and Saint Louis University.
Since its inception, the AIMS
program has identified the differ-
ent academic calendars among
universities in partner countries
as a "key challenge." This was
initially dealt with by aligning
programs as closely as possible
and being flexible with student
commencement times. Likewise,
a press release by UP clearly
identified the June-May academic
calendar as a "major reason" for
the considerable challenges the
university faced in this area.
This year, UP, together with
other AIMS Program member
universities in the Philippines,
decided to shift the beginning of
its academic calendar to August
in 2015.
This shift is believed to help lay
the groundwork for increasing stu-
dent and faculty mobility between
UP and its regional counterparts.
In a statement, Pascual said the
shift "will create more joint pro-
grams and partnerships with other
universities, allow students to get
transfer credits, particularly under
ASEAN and ASEAN +3 Credit
Transfer System (ACTS), and ad-
dress the problem with semestral
gaps with partner universities.”
These initiatives form a
counterpoint to CHED’s current
strategies, which include the en-
hancement of student, faculty and
staff mobility; as well as the estab-
lishment of a quality assurance
framework to strengthen more
than 1,800 Philippine HEIs as part
of its push to “(make) education
the central strategy for investing
in our people, reducing poverty
and building national competi-
tiveness.”
Truly International and
Global
Like his counterparts, UP
President Alfredo E. Pascual said
that he too has “big dreams for the
University of the Philippines.”
In its Roadmap for Interna-
tionalization, UP is banking on
a three-pronged approach. This
includes the improvement of the
understanding by the UP com-
munity of the value of internation-
alization, increasing its visibility
and interaction with the interna-
tional community, and developing
sustainable internationalization
continued on page 15
 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014 15

THE AIMS PROGRAMME... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF UNIVERSITY DEGREES...

continued from page 14 continued from page 16
programs and infrastructure. licenses obtained. 2014-2015, students from these univer-
“I envision UP as a national university that embodies the qualities of a truly interna- The Commission on Higher Educa- sities will be able to participate in the
tional and global university.” tion (CHED) is the body that recognizes student mobility programs of the AIMS.
Such a university, Pascual said, is one that has an “international reputation for university degrees while the Profes- The last regional initiative that will
teaching and research,” produces “the best graduates, including international stu- sional Regulation Commission issues help recognition of qualifications, and
dents,” and with a “long history of superior advancement.” Also important are a sys- and recognizes professional licenses in enhancement of learner and worker
tem of sound financial management, the best staff and major contributions to society. the Philippines. mobility is the ASEAN Qualifications
Despite the constraints inherent in the process of change, Pascual believes that these On the basis of the provisions of the Reference Framework. This is the
should not deter policymakers from pursuing the “necessary, even radical reforms” to MRA, the professional licenses of Fili- common regional framework that will
make ASEAN universities at par with the world’s best. pino professionals will get recognition enable comparison among the differ-
Fortunately, there has been a strong response to this call. Since 2011 UP has sig- from PRAs. For foreigners planning to ent national qualifications frameworks
nificantly increased its budget for research, provided funding for the completion of come to the country, the Professional of the ASEAN countries. It strongly
the National Engineering Complex and the National Science Complex, and increased Regulation Commission and the Profes- supports quality assurance among
scholarship for faculty members pursuing their PhDs. A new UP Los Baños Interna- sional Regulatory Boards will assess education and training providers mak-
tional Student Center and a P1 billion National Institutes for Health (NIH) facility in their qualifications and issue special ing it easier for students of the different
UP Manila will be built this year to complement its student-mobility partnerships. temporary permits. higher education institutions to partici-
“We must remember,” he said, “that oftentimes the biggest obstacles are the barriers Can a Filipino student enrolled in a pate in the regional programs aimed at
in our minds. With our expertise, with committed national leadership, and with strong Philippine university enroll in another learner mobility.
regional partnerships, there are no obstacles formidable enough to stand in our way.” ASEAN university? Yes, the Commis- In summary, ASEAN Integration,
-------------------- sion on Higher Education has supported with various efforts being pushed and
Email the author at forum@upd.edu.ph. various initiatives in support of region- undertaken in the field of recognition
alization and the internationalization of of university degrees and qualifications
higher education. One is the ASEAN including professional licenses, will
University Network of which the result in enhanced mobility of students
University of the Philippines, Ateneo and professionals in the region. The
RATES OF CHANGE...
de Manila University and De la Salle ASEAN MRA, in particular, contains
continued from page 9 University are members. Students of criteria for the recognition and eligibili-
more difficult. these universities may spend some time ty of foreign practitioners, a mechanism
"My analogy here is the Swiss knife. Hindi lang po ako screwdriver, but there are in other ASEAN member universi- for their recognition, and the monitor-
other skills that I have learned because of this broad base of the liberal arts and basic ties through the AUN Credit Transfer ing and evaluation of their performance
education. And it is important, I think, to be flexible." System. and conduct. These could be applied in
The last challenge is that of geo-hazards. "In view of a more uncertain and perilous Another is the University Mobility in other professions which, at the present
world we will need greater competence in assessing and reducing risks," said Villarin. Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) with 18 time, do not have mutual recognition
"A better understanding of the nature of risks includes knowing our exposure, our vul- full members, including the Philippines, arrangements.
nerability." which will enhance mobility of students --------------------
"Climate change is not just an ASEAN phenomenon, it’s a global phenomenon. And through UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme. Atty. Teresita Manzala is the chairperson
therefore we need to be concerned. Not just with Vietnam… We have to be concerned There are also 12 member universi- of the Professional Regulation Commision.
with Africa, we have to be concerned with Latin America. This is a global thing and we ties from the Philippines in the ASEAN She earned her AB Political Science and
have to come together." International Mobility for Students Master of Public Administration from UP.
"In closing," Villarin said, "the gearing up or preparation we need will have to deal with (AIMS) Program. Starting in schoolyear Email her at prc_chairperson@yahoo.com.
these five challenges. The quality of that preparation, the appropriateness of our response
will determine the extent of our advancement or stagnation in the regional and global
arena. Gone are the days when regional alliances in the global stage were just an option.
"We can only disengage at our peril."
gree in biomedical engineering? (Or) in financial engineering?" Pascual asked. "None,
Hugging Each Other at the Bottom not even UP." Even in the arena of joint programs, Pascual claims that UP is late for the
It became clear as the conference proceeded that while both Pascual and Villarin be- party.
lieved that factors such as increased funding for HEIs and the adoption of new technolo- While there are now joint programs being formalized with foreign universities, UP
gies played a central role in preparing for internationalization, the battle would be won has for so long been offering only dual degrees, where degrees are conferred separately.
not in board rooms or laboratories. When the Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PCARI) was instituted
The key to victory, they seemed to suggest, is to be found in the Filipino mind. by the Commission on Higher Education, Pascual said they encountered strong resis-
"The problem that we all face is never how to get new innovative thoughts in our tance from certain sectors. "We must allow programs that will operate under non-tradi-
minds," Pascual said, paraphrasing American businessman Dee Hock. "We are all full of tional rules to go ahead so we can have stars to hitch our wagons."
thoughts. But how to get old ones out." The only hope for Philippine higher
To make his point clear, Pascual education to progress faster, he believes, is
used the case of Vietnam to highlight to let go of the so called "crab mentality."
how far adrift higher education in the "We are all happy hugging each other
Philippines has found itself in a number at the bottom," he said. "I think we
of key aspects. "Look at Vietnam," he should now allow some of us to rise,
said, "which was ravaged by so many support institutions that are ready, so
wars. We have a two-decade head start. there would be an engine that can pull
The war that ravaged the Philippines the others forward, so that there would
ended in 1945; in their case it was in be a model that others can follow."
the late 1960s." Pascual ended with a quote from
"Vietnam already beats us in terms former CEO of General Electric, Jack
of publication. In terms of embracing Welch. This, it appeared, summed up
internationalization, they’re very much his views on how ignoring the lessons
ahead of us. Their national university and opportunities of the changing times
has set up a number of satellite univer- could spell disaster, even for the great-
sities. They now have the likes of Ho est of the country's institutions:
Chi Minh International University, of- "When the rate of change on the out-
fering international university degrees. side exceeds the rate of change inside,
They’re all focused on fields that are the end is in sight."
needed now." -------------------
Residents of the UP Diliman International Center hold flag ceremony at Quezon Hall. Email the author at forum@upd.edu.ph.
"Which universities here offer a de-

Dr. Clarita R. Carlos
UP College of Social Sci-
ences and Philosophy
Dr. Edna A. Co
UP National College of
Public Administration
and Governance
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
UP President (1993-1999)
U P S ystem Inform ati on Of fice  M ez z anine F lo o r, Qu e z on H a l l , U P D i l i m an, Q ue z on C i ty  Te l e fa x 9 2 6 - 1 57 2 , tru nk line 9 81-85 0 0 lo c . 2 5 5 2 , 25 49 , e-mail: fo r um@up.edu.ph
BOARD OF ADVISERS
Dr. Orlando S. Mercado
UP National College of
Public Administration
and Governance
Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan
UP College of Medicine
Sec. Oscar G. Yabes
Senate of the Philippines
Prof. Luis V. Teodoro
UP College of Mass
Communication
Dr. Dante M. Velasco
UP College of Mass
Communication
Sec. Gen. Marilyn B. Barua-Yap
House of Representatives
The UP FORUM
J. Prospero E. De Vera III Arbeen R. Acuña Arbeen R. Acuña Bong Q. Arboleda
Editor-in-Chief Graphic Artist Misael A. Bacani
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Managing Editor KIM G. Quilinguing
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Copy Editor
Researcher Administrative Staff
 THE UP FORUM
16 UP FORUM Volume 15 No. 3 May-June 2014
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, 1101

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Mutual Recognition of University Degrees

and Professional Licenses in the Context
of ASEAN Integration and Internationalization
Photo from the PRC

Teresita R. Manzala

I n 2015, the ten ASEAN countries will establish the

ASEAN Integration. In this context, the ASEAN
Economic Community Blueprint will be implemented,
featuring a single market and production base, charac-
terized by free flow of professionals and skilled work-
ers, among other things. ASEAN Mutual Recognition
Arrangements are in different stages of development and
cover the following fields:
1. Engineering
2. Nursing
3. Surveying
4. Architecture
5. Dentistry
6. Medicine
7. Accountancy
How will the university degrees or professional licens-
es of Filipino students or professionals be recognized
or treated in other countries? How would the credits of
students or graduates of a postgraduate program from
Philippine universities be recognized by ASEAN univer-
sities or vice versa?
Recognition of University Degrees and
Professional Licenses
A good working model of the mutual recognition of these qualifications is found in
the European Union directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament. In principle,
an applicant may submit documents to the appropriate or competent authority in
one country, and have his qualifications assessed, although there is a need to obtain
country-specific information for recognition of degrees.
ENIC-NARIC Network
In 1994, the European Council and the UNESCO established the European Net-
work of National Information Centres (ENIC) on academic recognition and mobility.
An ENIC generally provides information on:
1. the recognition of foreign diplomas, degrees and other qualifications
2. education systems in both foreign countries and ENIC’s own country
3. opportunities for studying abroad as well as advice on practical questions related
to mobility and equivalence
There are also National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC),
designated by each country’s Ministry of Education, which provide comparisons of
academic qualifications.
ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) and the ASEAN MRAs
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) was signed by ASEAN
Economic Ministers in 1995, and contains Article V, which states that “ASEAN
Member States may recognize the education or experience obtained, requirements
met, or licenses or certifications granted in another ASEAN Member State, for the
purpose of licensing or certification of service suppliers”.
The ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) contain the list of Profes-
sional Regulatory Authorities (PRA). A PRA is a body authorized by each ASEAN
Member State government to regulate and control practitioners and their practice of
the profession. These are the bodies that recognize qualifications and professional
licenses.
Article III of each MRA on Recognition and Eligibility of Foreign Practitioners
states that “A foreign practitioner may apply for registration in the host country in
accordance with its Domestic Regulations and comply with the following:
1. Possession of a qualification recognized by the PRA of the country of origin and
host country
2. Possession of a valid professional registration and current practising certificate
to practice the profession issued by the PRA of the country of origin
3. Be in active practice in the country of origin for:
Engineering/Architecture: 7 years
Medicine/Dentistry: 5 years
Nursing: 3 years
4. Compliance with CPD requirement at satisfactory level in accordance with the
policy on CPD mandated by the PRA of the country of origin
5. Certification by the PRA of the country of origin as not having violated any
professional or ethical standards, local and international
6. Declaration that there is no investigation or legal proceeding pending against
him/her in the country of origin or another country
7. Compliance with any other assessment or requirement as may be imposed on
any such applicant for registration as deemed fit by the PRA or other relevant
authorities of the host country
Article IV. Professional Regulatory Authority of the MRA provides that subject to
Domestic Regulations, the PRA of the host country shall:
1. evaluate the qualifications, training and experience of the foreign practitioners
2. impose any other requirement or assessment where applicable
3. grant recognition and register eligible foreign practitioner to practice the profes-
sion in the host country
4. monitor and assess compliance of the registered foreign practitioners’ practice
and conduct in accordance with the Professional and Ethical Codes of Conduct
and standards of practice of the host country
5. take necessary action in the event any registered foreign practitioner failed to
practice in accordance with the Professional and Ethical Codes of Conduct and
standards of practice of the host country
The MRA document Article V. Right to Regulate, rules that the MRA shall not
reduce, eliminate or modify the rights, power and authority of each ASEAN Member
State (AMS), its PRA and other relevant authorities to regulate and control practitio-
ners in the practice of the profession. AMSs, however, should exercise their regula-
tion without creating unnecessary barriers to the practice of the profession.
The qualifications recognition process of the AMS entails submission of authenti-
cated documents, including certificates of the degree earned, training, experience and
continued on page 14