UPLB has reached another milestone in its goal to become a globally competitive graduate and research university.
On Feb. 5-6, the University took part in the institutional assessment of the European Union Support for Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (EU SHARE). EU SHARE aims to strengthen the Region’s higher education system and collaboration and hopes to build a scholarship scheme in ASEAN similar to Europe’s Erasmus. UPLB is the only public university in the country to participate in the said assessment.
The two-day activity was conducted to enhance UPLB’s capacity to keep track of its internal quality assurance (QA) system and raise points and recommendations to improve it. Assessors from different countries interviewed students, faculty, staff, and officials. UPLB, on the other hand, presented its self-assessment report to the assessors.
Dr. Alyssa Alampay, UP assistant vice president for academic affairs, in her special message, commended UPLB “for taking the QA challenge” during the opening program at the REDREC Auditorium. Dr. Alampay reiterated the confidence of the UP System in UPLB’s readiness to participate in the assessment. She encouraged UPLB constituents to look at the assessment as a learning experience. “It’s not about the score; it’s about the process and learning from that process,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Chavalit Wongse-ek from Mahidol University, who spoke on behalf of the EU SHARE assessors, encouraged UPLB to live up to its commitment in pursuing quality education through the assessment. “Quality is not an accident, it needs intense effort,” he said.
Other assessors were Dr. Agus Setiabudi of the Indonesia University of Education, Dr. Jacques Lanares of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and Dr. Oliver Vettori from Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria.
Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., who officially opened and closed the event, expressed his hopes that the assessment would help uncover “blind spots” in the University’s performance. This way, it would be able to reform its strategies towards its main goal and increase efforts in food security and public service in the next two years. He also recognized the assessment as an opportunity for UPLB to reflect on building a regional higher education space in the ASEAN region via QA systems.
In his concluding statement, Chancellor Sanchez encouraged UPLB to uphold its culture of honor and excellence. “The assessment might be over but the real work is cut out for us. With the EU SHARE assessment, we have gained insights on how we can strategically invest in our vision for the University.” (Jessa Jael S. Arana , UPLB)
This story was first published on https://uplb.edu.ph/component/k2/916-uplb-undergoes-eu-share-institutional-assessment, “UPLB undergoes EU SHARE institutional assessment.”
