Gathering about 180 higher education institutions (HEIs) researchers, educators, and administrators from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, the 1st Research Conference on Scholarly Linkages for Universal and Sustainable Education opened on 26 June 2026 at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall, Diego Silang Building, Saint Louis University (SLU) Main Campus.
Themed “Innovate, Integrate, Inspire: Driving Sustainable and Quality Education through the SDGs,” SLU, through its Research, Innovation, and Sustainable Extension (RISE) Center, co-hosted the two-day inaugural conference with Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig (PLP), Ateneo De Naga University (ADNU), Saint Louis College – San Fernando City, La Union (SLC-SFLU), University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao (USLT), Isabela State University (ISU), Saint Mary’s University (SMU), Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Kalinga State University (KSU), Baguio Central University (BCU), Aklan Catholic College (ACC), WCC Aeronautical and Technological College (WCC-ATC), and Saint Louis College of Bulanao (SLCB).
In welcoming the academic community, SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD said, “As we open this landmark event, we celebrate the power of research to transcend borders and ignite meaningful change. We extend our deepest gratitude to our esteemed co-hosting institutions, whose invaluable collaboration and shared vision have made this international forum possible.”
Fr. Sales then underscored the importance of deliberately integrating the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into the very fabric of the educational system and daily life. “Education is not a passive vehicle of knowledge but an active catalyst for transformation. When we weave the SDGs in our curricula, we empower our students and faculty to move beyond theory and engage into practice. It is no longer enough to teach sustainability; we must live it. By embedding these global goals into our daily activities and institutional activities and policies, we foster a culture of accountability and innovation ensuring that indeed quality education becomes an accessible lifelong tool that equips individuals to tackle the pressing challenges of our day.”
Addressing the cohort representing 28 Philippine HEIs, Fr. Sales said, “We are all partners in this endeavor. Let us remain steadfast in our mission to innovate new pathways, integrate global standards into local action and most especially, inspire one another. I think that is very important. Together, we are not just hosting a conference, we are actively shaping a sustainable thriving world for generations to come.”
The Ceremonial Conferment of Certificates of Co-Host Institutions solidifying the commitment and partnership in fostering sustainability in higher education was then held. The conferment was led by Fr. Sales and assisted by the SLU Vice President for Academic Affairs Felina P. Espique, PhD, and Office of Global Relations, Alumni Affairs, and Scholarship Programs (OGRAASP) Director Stephenie O. Busbus, PhD. The following HEIs received certificates of recognition through their respective representatives:
- PLP: Maila N. Unsay, PhD, College of Education Dean
- ADNU: Ms Amanda S. De los Santos, Natural Sciences Department Faculty and University Research Council Incoming Chair
- SLC-SFLU: Niño Randy C. Flores, Research Management Office Head
- USLT: Engr. Reden Nolasco, Center for Engineering Research and Technology Innovation Head
- ISU: Jennelyn L. Raymundo, PhD, Knowledge and Technology Management University Director
- SMU: Elsa L. Cajucom, PhD, Center for Natural Sciences Director
- ISPSC: Carlo Ian A. Manalansan, PhD, College of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Dean (ISPSC-Main Campus)
- DMMMSU: Angelina T. Gonzales, PhD, Vice President for Research, Extension, Commercialization and Innovation
- KSU: Odette C. Pannongan, PhD, KSU-Dagupan Campus Administrator
- BCU: Elma D. Donaal, PhD,Vice President for Academic Affairs
- ACC: Ersyl T. Biray, PhD, Research and Creative Works Director
- WCC-ATC: Roger A. Martinez Jr., DBA, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- SLCB: Brigido B. Dubao, Executive Officer
After the conferment of certificates, the keynote speech and first plenary session followed.
“Innovate. Integrate. Inspire: Three Words on Sustainability”
Dr. Elsa Haniffa Mejia Mohamed, medical lecturer in Pharmacology at University Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) Programme Assessor, gave a keynote speech on sustainability from the lens of quality assurance. She began her talk with a question: “If someone asked your institution to prove –and not state– that it takes sustainability seriously, where would you point them to? Where is the evidence?”
Quality Assurance, she said, is all about evidence. “A university can have fantastic mission and vision statements, but is there real evidence to the practice?,” she asked. The good news, she said, is “this is not moral failure; this is structural failure. This is the kind of thing that quality systems are built to reflect: whether or not we have the evidence to show that we are practicing, operationalizing and actually doing what we are saying.”
To show how sustainability moves from intention to impact in HEIs, Dr. Mohamed delved into three keywords—Innovate (how it begins), Integrate (how it survives), and Inspire (how it endures)—and illustrated them with three UM projects: Water Warriors (2012), which restored a dying lake; Zero Waste Campaign (2011), addressing campus food and organic waste; and the RIMBA Project (2014), which turned disappearing green spaces into a biodiversity mapping and conservation project.
These projects were brought into a larger ecosystem, leading to the institutionalization of UMCares, the Living Lab Programme, and the Universiti Malaya Sustainability & Development Centre (UMSDC). These institutionalized programs then integrated with UIGreenMetric, UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) Global, and the Sustainability Agenda. Ultimately, this led to a transformation where sustainability became part of decision-making, university-community impact, and the institution’s way of thriving. The responsibility of institutions, Dr. Mohamed emphasized, is to create environments where good ideas can be recognized, connected, supported, and sustained.
“Passion is what started all these projects. Structure is necessary so that all these projects have lasting effect, bigger effect. Structure is not the opposite of passion but it is what makes the work last longer than the people who started them, operationalizing principles rooted in sustainability,” she explained.
In the light of “Innovate. Integrate. Inspire.”, she said, “Some of you in this room have already started noticing. Some of you will be the ones who connect it. And some of you will be the reason someone else keeps going.”
SDG as a Factor in Sustaining Quality Education
Richard R. Jugar, PhD, professor and director of the University of Educational Practices, Instruction and Curriculum (EPIC) Development Office of University of San Carlos, Cebu City, delivered the opening plenary on “SDGs as a Factor in Sustaining Quality Education” focusing on how the Sustainable Development Goals relate to the holistic development of the human person.
Dr. Jugar’s talk presented a three-dimensional view of quality education grounded in the SDGs: Knowledge Creation and Advancement as a measure of academic outcomes; Formation of the Ethical Human Person as a result of holistic development; and Service for Others as the outward-facing demonstration of a graduate’s values and skills. The first two dimensions focus internally on institutional learning and personal formation, while the third reflects how those outcomes manifest in graduates’ actions in the wider world.
Linking these dimensions to the SDGs explains why sustainability matters in higher education. From these, Dr. Jugar presented three key messages:
- Key Message #1: Quality Education sustains society through the creation and advancement of knowledge that addresses real human challenges.
- Key Message #2: Quality Education sustains society through the formation of ethical persons capable of responsible decision making.
- Key Message #3: Quality Education sustains society when knowledge and character are placed at the service of others.
He emphasized that in tying all these together, “it goes different from the commodification of education. When we market things we do not do, then that is commodification of education…Let us not jump into the bandwagon of logo collection.”
As a final takeaway, Dr. Jugar said that quality education rooted in the SDGs advances knowledge and ensures the continuous progress of learning. It also forms ethical persons with the thrust on moral development of individuals. Finally, it serves humanity and aims to contribute to the collective good of society. “Education isn’t only about preparing for work, it is about preparing to improve the world,” he said.
After the plenary sessions, the parallel sessions with sub-plenary talks and oral presentations were simultaneously held in the lobby, classrooms, and Moot Court of the Diego Silang Building.
- Track 1: Engineering and Technology for Sustainability
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Arch. Donna R. Tabangin
- Moderator: Engr. Melissa May Boado
- Reactors: Engr. Jefrie Alindayu and Dr. Alfonso R. Simon
- Track 2: Health Sciences and Well-Being
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Mary Grace C. Lacanaria, PhD
- Moderator: Mark Job G. Bascos, PhD
- Reactors: Jefferson S. Galanza, MPH, MSN and Gina L. Casi, PhD
- Track 3: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Racquel C. Barcelo, PhD
- Moderator: Elsa Cajucom, PhD
- Reactors: Jannette D. Awisan, PhD and Amanda De Los Santos, PhD
- Track 4: Business, Management, and Economics for Sustainable Growth
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Engr. Liza Silerio
- Moderator: Richel L. Lamadrid, PhD
- Reactors: Rodolfo C. Moreno, PhD and Leilani I. De Guzman, PhD
- Track 5A: Basic Education, Learning and Teaching Practices / Social Sciences and Education for Equity and Justice
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Jennelyn L. Raymundo, PhD
- Moderator: Maila Unsay, PhD
- Reactors: Joselito C. Gutierrez, PhD and Dorothy D. Silva, PhD
- Track 5B: Higher Education, Liberal Arts, Cultural Studies and Social Justice
- Sub-Plenary Talk: Felina P. Espique, PhD
- Moderator: Stephanie O. Busbus, PhD
- Reactors: Angela C. Tenorio, PhD and Niño Randy Flores, PhD
- Poster Presentation
- Moderator: Engr. Alliver B. Sapitul
- Reactors: Mr. Nover D. Esteban, Engr. Harold O. Lagto, and Matthew Jun P. Mariani, MIT
The 1st Research Conference on Scholarly Linkages for Universal and Sustainable Education will continue on its second and final day on 27 June 2026 with the second series of plenary sessions:
- “The Place of SDGs in Research” by Mark B. Ulla, PhD from Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- “SDGs in Action Through Extension Programs” by Jonathan R. Carreon, PhD from Huahiew Chalermprakiet University, Samutprakarn, Thailand
- “Partnership for the Goals towards Sustainable Future” by Marjorie Balay-as, PhD, Local Government and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, UN Development Program
In addition to the discourses, the program also includes SLU Campus Tour, Ceremonial Recognition of Best Presenters, and taking of Pledge of Commitment by the participants.
