To mobilize advocates to address the challenges of delivering efficient and effective higher education (HE), UPLB led the International Conference on Academic Practice in Higher Education (ICAPHE) last June 30 in Muntinlupa City.

The conference, held under the auspices of the Transformative Academic Practice for Higher Education in the Philippines (TAPHEP) Project, brought together over 130 participants from 51 public and private HE institutions in the Philippines. 

TAPHEP is funded by the Commission on Higher Education. UPLB heads it in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, UP Open University, and 18 other private and public HE institutions in the country. 

In his welcome remarks, Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. described ICAPHE as a crucial platform where policymakers, practitioners, administrators, and stakeholders in the Philippine HE sector share knowledge and experiences.

He also emphasized the need for academic practice to adapt and “level up” in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.

“Higher education as a whole is rapidly evolving. Educators now have access to resources and methodologies that would have been impossible even a decade or two ago. These have allowed extraordinary innovation and development in teaching and learning styles, practices, and philosophies,” he added.

In her keynote speech Corinna Frances O. Cabanilla, director of the Office of Programs and Standards Development of the Commission on Higher Education, emphasized the importance of collaboration in HE and the need to discover new teaching methods appropriate for diverse learners of the current era.

The first plenary session featured TAPHEP partners from the University of Liverpool: Dr. Susan Bolt, Dr. Ida Kemp, and Dr. Laura Hills. They shared insights on professional HE qualifications. 

One key qualification discussed by Dr. Kemp is interdisciplinarity or integrating knowledge from two or more disciplines. “Interdisciplinarity requires critical thinking, agility, and listening to different perspectives.”

In the second session, Dr. Karol Mark R. Yee, Dr. Shahrir Abdullah, Ms. Lotus Postrado, and Prof. Steven Edwards presented papers on higher education in the Philippines and beyond, providing perspectives on the current landscape of the country’s HE plans.

Dr. Yee presented the Second Congressional Commission on Education, a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of Philippine education to recommend improvements in the sector. 

For successful international HE partnerships, Prof. Edwards shared tips such as identifying areas where both institutions benefit and starting with realistic projects with plans for broader activities in the future.

The final session focused on transforming the delivery of HE in the Philippines, with presentations by Dr. Crist John M. Pastor, Asst. Prof. Ana Katrina T. Marcial, Dr. Michelle Grace V. Paraso, and Dr. Kathleen M. Morales. 

They discussed studies in proficiency and emerging issues and introduced the role of a community of practice (CoP) in the academe. 

“In a teaching and learning context, CoP members seek to explore everyday problems, trends, new practices, and complex challenges with a focus on improving teaching practices and equitable learning experiences,“ said Dr. Morales.

Anna Floresca F. Firmalino, TAPHEP co-lead and director of the Office of International Linkages, led a signing ceremony that signified the commitment of participants to support the Transformative Academic Practice for Higher Education CoP.

The CoP under TAPHEP aims to drive improvements in teaching and learning by fostering collaboration among the participating HE institutions.

UP President Angelo A. Jimenez delivered the closing remarks. He acknowledged the conference’s importance in advancing HE practices and encouraged TAPHEP to continue the ICAPHE tradition. (John Glen S. Sarol)