Diverse cultures converged as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Exchange Program commenced anew in Saint Louis University (SLU) and with other SEAMEO partner-institutions at the Fr. Francis Gevers Conference Hall, Silang Building, on 25 September 2023.
Through its School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA), SLU conducted a welcome/send-off program to exchange students from partner-universities across Indonesia and Vietnam namely: Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Indonesia; Halu Oleo University, Indonesia; Dong Thap University, Vietnam; Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia; and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.
With the theme, “Revitalizing Teacher Education,” the welcome/send-off program was held in recognition of the 9th Batch of the SouthEast Asia (SEA) Teacher Exchange Program conducted during the first semester of AY 2023-2024, with the aim of promoting cultural exchange, lasting friendships, and most of all, celebrating diversity.
This program aligns with the university’s participation in the 9th Batch of the Southeast Asia (SEA) Teacher Exchange Program for the academic year 2023-2024, symbolizing the journey of learning and cultural exchange.
As SLU President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, expressed, this endeavor is in line with the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community Blueprint 2025 that advocates the promotion of “an innovative ASEAN approach to higher education” and in view of the “general consensus among ASEAN Member States that an enhanced capacity and harmonized higher education systems will make for a more prosperous region” through collaborative approaches such as student mobility.
Further, Rev. Fr. Sales warmly welcomed each exchange student to Saint Louis University and to the Philippines, assuring that they are in “good hands with our competent and supportive faculty members from the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts.” He also personally congratulated inbound students who successfully hurdled the challenges and the significant experiences they encountered as they had their exchange programs in Saint Louis University.
Aside from the exchange of messages, cultural presentations accentuated the said activity with each University showcasing a dash of their arts and music
SLU Strengthens ASEAN Partnerships
by Mae Janica Palkit
This Academic Year 2023-2024, SLU-STELA initiated partnerships with seven distinguished universities from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. In total, 13 inbound exchange students embarked on a transformative educational exchange at SLU: two from Halu Oleo University and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat in Indonesia, five from Dong Thap in Vietnam, and two from Universitas Sebelas Maret and Universitas Pendidikan in Indonesia.
In return, the University sent an equal group of 13 students to these partner institutions who embarked their exchange journey on the day the inbound students were received. The inbound and outbound students spent less than a month at their respective host institutions, as per the agreement with the program organizer, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO).
The newcomers from Indonesia represent three esteemed institutions:
Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (ULM), Indonesia
- Hana Zulfariah Nurhayati
- Hilyatul Atqiya
Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Indonesia
- Fahreza Akbar Ramadhan
- Meiriana Nur Maulida
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Indonesia
- Nafisah Nurul Alfiyani
- Undo Syahadana Ziqra Fauzi
Meanwhile, exchange students who had spent time in SLU were now returning to their home countries. The departing students are from universities from both Indonesia and Vietnam:
Halu Oleo University, Indonesia
- Pujawati
- Kevin Arjun Tri WarDhana
Dong Thap University, Vietnam
- Lê Thị Thùy Dương
- Phạm Thị Yến Nhi
- Nguyễn Quốc Tiến
- Trần Phan Bảo Toàn
- Tiêu Anh Tuấn
In consonance with the theme of “Revitalizing Teacher Education,” Dr. Mary Pauline Namoca, the Dean of STELA, set the tone for the program’s commencement. She underscored the changing impact SLU and its partner universities are forging within the academic setting. Dr. Namoca emphasized that venturing to a foreign country entails stepping beyond one’s comfort zone, a journey from which incredible experiences and boundless opportunities open.
The event also served as a precursor to the arrival of additional exchange students. Two students from Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat, Thailand, are set to arrive on 25 October 2023, followed by five students from UNDANA, Indonesia, on 6 November 2023.
The SEA Teacher Exchange Program stands as an esteemed Southeast Asian initiative aimed at fostering educational and cultural cooperation. Its overarching goal is to globalize pre-service teacher education, emphasizing enhancing students’ English proficiency, cultivating 21st-century skills, and elevating global competitiveness, all while fostering internationalization among participating universities.
