Activities
Phil-Indonesia virtual student exchange begins
Phil-Indonesia virtual student exchange begins
By Edmer D. Bernardo, photos by Patrick Lance Nacion
The virtual Student Exchange Program between Indonesia’s Pangkep State Polytechnic of Agriculture (POLIPANGKEP) and the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) officially opened with a virtual ceremony today, May 16.
Right before their first class with CFAS Dean Dr. Roy Villanueva, the four Indonesian Fisheries students were presented by Dr. Nur Rahmawaty Arma, Vice Director for Student Affairs and Collaboration of the PoliPangkep.
Their four Agriculture students will begin virtual classes with faculty members of ISCOF Dingle and ISCOF San Enrique on May 17.
Meanwhile, the four ISCOF students whose classes begin also today were presented to their Indonesian faculty by Dr. Erwyn Valencia, Director for Advancement and Linkages.
The MOU is for the development of a spirit of friendship and mutual interest, on a reciprocal basis, of both state institutions, as signed by ISCOF President Dr. Nordy D. Siason Jr. and PoliPangkep Director Dr. Ir Darmawan on May 12.
The parties agreed to have: student exchanges, including field trips, on the job training, Internship program and volunteering opportunities; university faculty and researcher’s exchanges; exchange of library holdings and other library linkage; Industry – Academic Linkage; identification of methods for academic collaboration, including summer school, Educational – tourism projects, and visiting lectures; organization of joint research projects, including conferences, seminars, workshops, joint organizers of international conferences and meetings; and the exchange of information and publications, among others.
In her speech during the opening program, ISCOF VP for Academics Dr. Joan Belga thanked PoliPangkep: “Learning is beyond those knowledge and skills taught and experienced in our formal education. It is also more than gaining experience to ready our students for their future jobs. Understanding and experiencing another culture is a necessity to become a global citizen. Thus, it is an honor for our institution to start our collaboration and partnership with you.”
In his own message, Dr. Siason remarked that this Student Exchange Program is a blueprint for collaboration that will help ISCOF and PoliPangkep contribute their share in the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The international student and faculty exchange programs covered by the MOU are part of ISCOF System’s internationalization efforts, and among the College President’s “Caring to Bridge, Bridging to Care” priorities.
Dr. Siason launches presidential logo, tagline: Caring to Bridge, Bridging to Care
Dr. Siason launches presidential logo,
tagline: Caring to Bridge, Bridging to Care
The symbolism.
The fishes in official ISCOF colors of yellow and blue represent the flagship program of the college, Bachelor of Science in Fisheries, awarded by CHED as a Center of Development. Yellow signifies hopes, aspirations, and a bright future, while blue signifies water and the promising sea. The logo in general is shaped like a heart, inclusive and indiscriminate of the men and women of ISCOF, and the community it serves. These caring men and women are in red, blue, yellow, and green, all official colors of the college, and each representing a campus among the system’s five. They are in different colors because of their diverse personalities and backgrounds, but linked as one by a black line that symbolizes the strong bond and loyalty among them, sharing the same mission and vision, and warmed by the same love for the institution, for the Ilonggo community, and for the whole nation. The words “Caring to Bridge and Bridging to Care” speak of BRIDGE- Building for Responsive Interventions for Dynamic Graduates through Education, in short building and nurturing instructional leaders who will then help students cross over from academic and skills training to actual Career Advancement and Readiness for Employment (CARE).
The story.
Guided by its mission to upgrade quality education, generate jobs, and alleviate poverty through excellent academic programs, ISCOF, under the presidency of Dr. Nordy Siason Jr., paves a more emphatic path to its mission of becoming a premiere academic institution in Southeast Asia: Caring to Bridge, Bridging to Care.
ISCOF will build and nurture instructional leaders who will in turn build and nurture their students as they cross over from the academe to the real world, contributing its share to the achievement of the International Sustainable Development Goals and the National and Regional Development Plans.
With Fortitude, Integrity, Scholarship, Humanity, Excellence, and Service, FISHES, as its core values, ISCOF cares to unite its stakeholders so as to better help the community it is mandated to serve. By inspiring each other to work as a team through hard but considerate work, the men and women of ISCOF see positive, cheerful collaboration as the means by which they can help bridge the gap between poverty and progress among their fellow Ilonggos.
Caring to Bridge and Bridging to Care also speaks of the special transitory phase ISCOF System is going through as it transitions from a state college to a state university with SUC President II Dr. Nordy Siason at the helm.
Concept by Dr. Nordy Siason, Art by Patrick Lance Nacion, and Story by Edmer Bernardo. May 2022.