Saint Louis University (SLU) has set another record for its remarkable achievements on internationalization initiatives during the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Internationalization Champions of Nation-Building and Sustainability (ICONS) Awards 2024, held at at the Jose Rizal Hall, Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila.
SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD won the IZN Leadership Award, underscoring his impactful leadership. This recognition highlights SLU’s commitment, through Fr. Sales’s sterling management and direction, towards enhancing global engagement and fostering international collaboration in higher education.
In response to the said victory, Fr. Gilbert congratulated the Louisian community saying, “I just got the news that we won the Internationalization Leadership Award awarded by CHED. I’d like to congratulate all of us. It’s not an award for myself alone. It is an award for all of us. So congratulations to all of us. Viva Saint Louis University!”
Further, SLU earned the Global Citizenship Award- First Runner-up, affirming its position as a leader in global education and cross-cultural programs.
During the awards ceremony held on 16 December 2024, Executive Assistant to the SLU President, Joselito C. Gutierrez, PhD; SLU Vice President for Academic Affairs, Felina P. Espique, PhD, and Director of the Office of Global Relations and Alumni Affairs, Stephenie O. Busbus, PhD, accepted the awards on behalf of the university.
According to CHED, the IZN Leadership Award is the sole individual category recognizing an executive official from a higher education institution for “exemplary, transformative, and innovative leadership” in advancing the internationalization of Philippine higher education. This award recognizes outstanding leaders for their significant contributions to integrating international and intercultural dimensions into their institutions while exemplifying resilience, humility, integrity, and a development-driven mindset.
The Global Citizenship Award, on the other hand, is presented to higher education institutions that advance programs promoting intercultural learning experiences and provide students opportunities to contribute to addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while committing to active global citizenship.
In addition, CHED-CAR, under the able leadership of Dr. Demetrio Anduyan, was recognized as the Best Regional Office for Internationalization, further underscoring the commitment of Philippine higher education institutions to fostering global citizenship and advancing internationalization initiatives.
The ICONS Awards acknowledges high-impact initiatives of Philippine Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) towards sustainability, Association of Southeast Asian Nations awareness, and internationalization.
