WVSU
To further widen WVSU’s global academic affairs and engagement, the French Embassy represented by Adam Folleas, Officer for Higher Education and Linguistics, Head of Campus France Manila – SCAC with Sylvain Lamourette, Cooperation Attaché held an info session discussing what they can offer the University.
The session included student language assistantship, language teaching courses, and academic exchange.
For officially concluding the two-week academic stay of our Indonesian exchange students at the University, WVSU ILLO led the Closing Ceremony of “Creating Opportunities: The WVSU-ITS Student Exchange”, at the Research and Extension Building, November 22, 2023.
Together with their faculty members, CBM Dean Dr. Maria Corazon M. Samorin and CICT Dean Dr. Ma. Beth S. Concepcion were present. The selected student buddies who provided company all throughout the duration of the students’ stay also graced the occasion.
The University praised the enthusiasm showed by Ghifary Muhammad, Valeska Enrona Sareeka Rianto and Muhamad Akbar Maulana, as reflected on their academic endeavors,as well as the eagerness of fully immersing themselves with the Filipino culture, traditions and cuisines.
“This may be the end of the 2023 student exchange program but definitely there’s more to this WVSU and ITS Surabaya partnership. I believe this partnership is written in the stars, it’s all meant to be. ” said WVSU ILLO Director, Edel Carmela S. Subong-Csoka, as she hints and manifests for more collaborations and partnerships with Institut Teknologi Sepuluh (ITS).
This whole day event was made possible through collaboration with various universities: King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), West Visayas State University, University of Antique, and Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology.
“Let us make our universities open to change and innovations and let us work together to make our universities truly global institutions,” said Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, WVSU President, officially commencing the event.
Ghifary Muhammad, Akbar Maulana, and Valeska Rianto, students from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh (ITS) Nopember, Surabaya also met Iloilo City councilor Miguel Treñas and the Mayor’s daughter Ms Raisa Treñas-Chu.
These students are joining the academic classes at the College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.
Gab Umadhay, City PESO manager, facilitated the courtesy call and assisted the foreign students in their introduction with the Mayor.
The students will then venture on a city tour guided by two of the WVSU-CBM Tourism Management students.
The morning sessions on November 7, still led by US Embassy’s English Language Fellow, Dr. Kirsten Dyck, began with Games for Teaching Reading, which tackles the different educational games to help students interact with stories. It was followed by Creating Your Own Materials for Teaching Reading, wherein the participants made and shared their own creative learning materials.
In the afternoon, Dr. Carleen Velez, the Regional English Language Officer (RELO) of the US Embassy, joined the remaining two sessions of the workshop: Hands-On Reading Activity Session and Roundtable Discussion – Final Thoughts and Questions.
The main topic of discussions among the chosen panelists from each WVSU campus revolved around the students’ strength in creativity must be utilized to their maximum potential, for them to learn effectively as it encourages a more engaging method of learning—either through video-making or graphics. However, the group agreed that with the careless usage of technology, today’s generation of students are equipped to use it as “source material” and “short fixes”—they no longer connect with text, which led into the conclusion that students must be immersed in reading a few minutes before the start of the class to give them “opportunities to engage with texts” on reading materials of their own choosing and discussing it later on in class.
Concerns regarding “regimented curriculum”, which unable educators to teach reading with creative liberty were also raised. An alternative was suggested by the group: adapt “uninterrupted, sustained silent reading” and as well as give the students reading materials in advance to provide them the luxury of learning it at their own pace.
Dr. Velez recognized that besides being creative, Filipinos are “amazing performing artists”. She said, “I think sometimes as teachers we don’t take that aspect into the classroom.” She emphasized how some students register or process knowledge in different ways, and what works for one student might not work for the rest of the class.
“Take the strength and creativity that Filipinos have and give them a little bit of choice on how they demonstrate their knowledge and I think your students are gonna be happier,” Dr. Velez added.
The training-workshop was in coordination with the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO.
Dr. Kirsten Dyck, English Language Fellow at Angeles University, Pampanga leads the discussion on the Student-Centered Reading Workshop among English teachers of the WVSU system.
Today’s activity is composed of four sessions: A presentation on the 10 Ways to Make Your Students Not to HATE Reading; Gallery Walk of Participants’ Favorite Reading Instruction Materials; Selecting Higher-Order Thinking Activities; and Feedback/Brainstorming Session to Work on Participants’ Reading Instruction Challenges.
This is a two-day workshop, which will end tomorrow, November 7.
The Regional English Language Officer of the United States Embassy in the Philippines, Dr. Carleen Velez, will be joining the session on the last day.
This training-workshop is sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines, in coordination with the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO .
The Indonesian students will be joining the classes at the College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.
This activity is dubbed as Creating Opportunities: The WVSU Student Exchange Program, organized by the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO , College of Information and Communications Technology and the College of Business and Management.
Ms. Marie Angela Cachuela, the Trade Commissioner for Agriculture and Education of the Embassy of Canada met with the West Visayas State University key people led by President Dr. Joselito Villaruz on October 20, to discuss possible opportunities for collaboration.
West Visayas State University (WVSU) headed a virtual discussion to shed light on the best practices of the state universities and colleges in Region VI on October 18, 2023. The partner state universities were Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), Capiz State University (CAPSU), and Guimaras State University (GSU). Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU), though not in Region 6, served as guest partner.
Called as Region VI on Spotlight: Best Practices in International Internships, the activity tackled what works in a state university, procedures/protocols, and best practices.
WVSU President Dr. Joselito Villaruz welcomed the participants, “Today shows the untiring efforts of internationalization, where barriers of competition and exclusivity among state universities are broken and we welcome the spirit of unity by the sharing of the best practices in international internships.”
The presenters were Dr. Marien Laureto, Director-International and National Affairs of CAPSU, Dr. Joel Japitana, Director-International Affairs and External Linkages of GSU, Mrs. Angeline Basco, National and International Coordinator of the College of Industrial Technology of ISAT U, and Dr. Ma. Flora C. Collado, Chair-Division of Hospitality Management of WVSU.
The discussions with the four universities in Region 6 revolved around the following points: in the era of Internationalization, student internships abroad are conscious efforts , though voluntary, for learners to be able to not only learn academically and put into practice the theories they were taught, but also to immerse them into cultures different from theirs-making them globally competitive and developing in them global citizenship. However, the internships must undergo procedures properly—there should be an existing memorandum of understanding or memorandum of agreement between the sending school and the host school abroad with the internship plan approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the University President.
Issues regarding financial subsidy to outbound students were also brought up, discovering that each university has different practices. Dr. Nemia Mabaquiao, the Vice President for External Affairs of ISAT U said that “while we spend for our foreign students, we should also spend for our own” to support international internship or exchange.
Ms. Edel Carmela Subong-Csoka, Director of the International and Local Linkages Office of WVSU stressed that in international internships, “We think more of what is best for our students, what protects them, and what benefits the universities in the Philippines in return.”
Dr. Christine Nabor-Ferrer, Director IV of Commission on Higher Education Region I (CHEDRO1) expressed her support to this endeavor in Region VI and also shared the process on how to go about international internships. Dr. Ferrer was the Director for External Linkages and International Affairs of Tarlac Agricultural University before she was appointed Regional Director of CHEDRO1. She is considered as one of the mentors in internationalization in the Philippines.
The event closed with remarks from the TAU’s Acting Director of External Linkages and International Affairs Prof. Marlon Espedillon, “In any internationalization activity, it is imperative that we understand the quintessential reasons why we are sending our students abroad. Is it for competencies? Is it for our institution profile?… It is the learning processes and the ecological context that may significantly influence the internship experience. Hence, the need for this dialogue. I am thankful that we have this kind of forum… “
The event was participated by more or less 130 faculty, students, and staff.
October 13, 2023-Dalhousie University (Dal), Canada met with West Visayas State University to talk about areas such as agriculture and food security, considering collaborations on mobility, research, and development project activities.
During the meeting-discussion at WVSU, Dal was represented by Project and Advancement Coordinator-International of the Faculty of Agriculture David Parks with their Manager for International Lana Bos expressed. They discussed strengths and possible projects to pursue with the College of Agriculture and Forestry (CAF).
The meeting was attended by president Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, Vice President for Medical and Allied Sciences Dr. Celina Gellada, WVSU International and Local Linkages Office – ILLO Director Ms. Edel Carmela Subong-Csoka, CAF Campus Administrator Dr. Dominador Lisao, Dean of the College of Agriculture Dr. Anthony Leal, CAF faculty Prof. Leonie Consabo and CAF Internationalization Coordinator Prof. Michael Victor Gonzales.
DagYoung Ambassadors (university student ambassadors) Johnric Vargas and Marey Florence Losanes were present to help boost WVSU’s reputation by hosting the Dal guests from the hotel to the University.
The discussion will continue at Dal’s tour at the College of Agriculture and Foresty for them to see the campus and the Mariit Wildlife Conservation Park.