UP’s Push for Transformative Education:
Academic excellence as a priority program
The University of the Philippines (UP) is cognizant of its vital role in shaping society. Hence, UP’s strategic vision aims to address pressing social issues and effect meaningful change through the collective expertise of its faculty, staff and researchers. UP’s initiatives to generate innovative solutions resonate with the needs and aspirations of diverse communities; serve as a catalyst for societal transformation; and promote social justice and progress.
UP’s flagship program on academic excellence is a testament to the university’s commitment to advancing teaching, research, innovation, and creative work for the betterment of society. By embracing a holistic approach to education and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, UP cultivates a community of lifelong learners poised to address the complex challenges of the 21st century. Through its unwavering dedication to excellence and inclusivity, UP stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity, promoting progress and social justice within our communities and beyond.
UP’s transformative learning programs aim to respond to present needs while inculcating civic virtues essential for nurturing inclusive, just, and sustainable communities. The following three interventions were designed to catalyze transformation and promote equitable access to educational opportunities: Revision of Core Curriculum, Academic Program Expansion and Enhancement, and Lifelong Learning Initiatives.
Revision of Core Curriculum
The Revision of Core Curriculum is a cornerstone initiative within UP’s efforts to enhance curricular relevance in line with contemporary societal imperatives. It seeks to instill critical thinking skills and foster civic engagement among UP
students. The university, at regular intervals, conducts a rigorous review process of both general education and major courses to better align with the evolving needs of learners and society at large. UP endeavors to streamline and optimize its curricular offerings, facilitating timely degree completion and equipping students with the competencies essential for success in the workforce.
UP President Angelo Jimenez proposed to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that the General Education (GE) curriculum integrate modules on artificial intelligence, social media algorithms, computational skills and others. The GE curriculum may be customized by stacking 6 to 9 units from different GE courses that align with students’ interests and needs, and validating courses taken from approved educational platforms.
Academic Program Expansion and Enhancement
The Academic Program Expansion and Enhancement initiative represents a multifaceted endeavor aimed at enriching UP’s academic portfolio across its constituent universities. This encourages the development of new programs, reinvigorating existing ones, and fostering collaborative ventures, for UP to cultivate a dynamic educational ecosystem. Central to this initiative is the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration, which serves as a catalyst for innovation and equips students with the multifaceted skill sets necessary to navigate an increasingly interconnected global landscape. The establishment of joint and dual-degree programs broaden horizons and expand opportunities for internationalization, cross-cultural exchange and collaboration.
Recent efforts to expand and enhance UP’s academic programs include: UP Mindanao’s Doctor of Medicine programs that will begin next Academic Year 2025-2026, in cooperation with the College of Medicine of UP Manila. Jimenez also said that the constituent university (CU) will also launch a program in Civil Engineering in cooperation with the UP Diliman Institute of Civil Engineering; an Associate in Entrepreneurship, under the CU’s School of Management; and two new Master of Science offerings (MS in Quantitative Methods in Modeling and MS Biology).
Some of UP Diliman’s new programs being finalized are: Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts (DSCTA) Minor Programs in Applied Theatre and Performance and in Theatre and Performance Praxes, and Minor Program in Rhetoric and Interpersonal Communication which would let non-DSCTA students have the opportunity to take part in DSCTA offerings, and the degree will become part of their credentials.
Meanwhile, the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), the UP Open University (UPOU), and the UP Los Baños Graduate School (UPLB GS) are developing graduate programs focused on building resilience: Master of Climate and Disaster Resilience and Master in Resilience Studies.
Prior to Jimenez’ presidency, programs were already developed in three frontier areas: Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and the Omics sciences, which serve as pillars of the Center for Intelligent Systems and the Masters and PhD programs in Data Science Analytics, Informatics, Bioinformatics, and Artificial Intelligence.
Internationalization
UP’s thrust for internationalization, meanwhile, are delegated to the university’s Office of International Linkages (UP OIL). The office is tasked with promoting international academic and research collaboration with partner universities through student and faculty exchange, joint research, network participation, sharing of educational resources, and other international academic and research activities.
Throughout the years, UP has remained as an active member of and has academic agreements with the: Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), ASEAN- European Academic University Network (ASEA-UNINET), ASEAN University Network (AUN), Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia (KoSASA), Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities (SATU), and Erasmus Mundus Program Network. Such agreements also allow member institutions to collaborate in improving and facilitating their undergraduate, postgraduate, master and doctoral programs and students.
UP Diliman currently has over 140 active agreements with over 140 institutions all over the world covering student, faculty and staff exchange, and other academic
activities. Some of the examples of joint and dual-degree programs are: MS in Regional Development Planning and PhD in Chemistry.
The MS in Regional Development Planning program is jointly offered by the UP Diliman’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and the Spring Center, Faculty of Spatial Planning, University of Dortmund, Germany. The two-year program is aimed at regional and district development planning, with emphasis on rural areas.
The doctorate degree in Chemistry may be taken as a dual-degree program at the University of Houston. The program aims to provide advanced graduate training in chemistry which would allow successful students to carry out independent research, and pursue careers in academic, government, research and industrial institutions.
Lifelong Learning Initiatives
The Lifelong Learning Initiatives spearheaded by UP underscore the university’s commitment to democratizing access to education and fostering a culture of continuous skill development. Provision of micro-credentials and stackable courses empowers learners to pursue personalized learning pathways tailored to their professional aspirations and personal interests. Leveraging digital platforms and online learning modalities democratizes access to education, transcending traditional barriers of time and space. Through initiatives such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Distance e-Learning (MODeL), UP fosters a culture of lifelong learning, empowering individuals to pursue continuous competency development and credential attainment.
The UP Open University’s MOOCs are short, self-paced and free online courses https://model.upou.edu.ph/course/index.php in categories such as DE Readiness Module, ODeL Teacher Accreditation, Technology for Teaching and Learning, Sustainable Development, Child Rights Protection and Promotion, Business Analytics, Gender Responsive Education, Multimedia Production, and Crisis Management and Foresight Planning. Completers of MODeL MOOC’s gain extra learning credits and certifications.
More on UP’s Strategic Plan 2023-2029
Flagship Program 1: Academic Excellence
Flagship Program 2: Inclusive Admissions
Flagship Program 3: Research and Innovation
Flagship Program 4: Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL)
Flagship Program 5: Archipelagic and Oceanic Virtual University (AOVU)
Flagship Program 6: Active and Collaborative Partnerships
Flagship Program 7: Arts and Culture
Flagship Program 8: Expansion of Public Service Offices
Flagship Program 9: Quality Management System (QMS) and Quality Assurance (QA)
Flagship Program 10: Digital Transformation
