SU launches Digital Transformation Center to advance inclusive digital education
Silliman University (SU) formally dedicated and launched the KOICA Digital Transformation (DX) Center on December 11, 2025, marking a major milestone in its partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Hannam University in advancing digital education, innovation, and workforce readiness in Negros Oriental and beyond.
The dedication ceremony was held at the College of Business Administration (CBA) Presentation Room, followed by the blessing and ribbon-cutting of the DX Center on the third floor of the CBA building.
The new KOICA Digital Transformation is unveiled to the public.
The event gathered university administrators led by SU President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann, Trustee-in-Residence Grace Ty, members of the Deans Conference, faculty and students; representatives from KOICA and Hannam University, as well as partners from the ICT industry, the Philippine Employment Service Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, TESDA, and KOICA program graduates.
A center rooted in mission and shared stewardship
Dr. Wilma Tejero-Libarios, College of Business Administration dean and KOICA DX Center local project coordinator, delivers her message at the Blessing Ceremony.
Speaking during the dedication, Dr. Wilma Tejero-Libarios, dean of the College of Business Administration, emphasized that the DX Center is anchored on Silliman University’s mission of service, community engagement, and faith.
“Our work is guided by the University’s mission of serving the interest of our students and inspiring our community through our extension and service learning program,” Tejero-Libarios said, offering the center’s aspirations to God and grounding the partnership in Silliman’s motto Via, Veritas, Vita alongside Hannam University’s guiding principles of truth, service, and love.
She stressed that the DX Center is not exclusive to the College of Business Administration but is envisioned as a shared resource for the entire University and its community partners. The facility will be made available, free of use, to other colleges that require computer laboratories for community-based training in artificial intelligence, digital education, bookkeeping, and digital marketing.
“The DX Center is not CBA’s center. It is every College’s center,” she said, describing it as a symbol of collective commitment to empowering the next generation through digital innovation and education.
Hope, opportunity, and people-centered transformation
Dr. Younsik Shin, KOICA Project executive director, shares his message of support.
Dr. Younsik Shin, KOICA Project Executive Director, echoed this vision, expressing hope that the Center will have a lasting impact on young people and the wider community. He described the DX Center as a space that should continually generate opportunity, growth, and meaningful change.
Dr. Jangwoo Choi, representing Hannam University’s president, underscored the global significance of the facility, describing it as Hannam University’s first overseas global educational support center. He noted that the launch of the DX Center establishes a long-term foundation for strengthening partnerships in the Negros region and expanding educational access.
Choi shared that beginning in 2026, the partnership will diversify digital and AI-related curricula for students and faculty to better respond to university and industry needs. The Center, he said, aims to strengthen competencies in artificial intelligence and digital data while supporting local youth in securing employment.
Representing Hannam University’s President, Dr. Jangwoo Choi speaks at the official unveiling of the KOICA DX Center on the 3rd floor of the CBA building.
“The core of digital transformation is ultimately people,” Choi said. “It is about empowering individuals to grow and creating a community where industry, education, and innovation come together.”
A bold step forward for Silliman and its partners
Following the ribbon-cutting, McCann highlighted that while the Center is equipped with modern technology, the partnership’s deeper value lies in relationships and shared values.
Dr. Betty Cernol McCann, SU president, delivers her message.
“This partnership focuses more on people,” McCann said, noting that beyond hardware and equipment, the collaboration between Silliman University and Hannam University is rooted in Christian values, mutual respect, and a shared aspiration to develop leaders who serve with wisdom and compassion.
She added that the partnership has enriched academic programs, broadened perspectives, and strengthened cultural and scholarly ties between Korea and the Philippines. McCann described the DX Center as a bold and timely response to the realities of a digitally driven world, where transformation shapes business practices, community connections, and national development.
“With this facility, our students will have access to cutting-edge tools and spaces that will help them become agile thinkers, creative problem solvers, and ethical leaders in a rapidly evolving world,” she said.
Building on an ongoing initiative
Representatives from Hannam University, Silliman University, and industry partners pose after the unveiling ceremony of the KOICA DX Center.
The official launch builds on the earlier soft launch of the SU–KOICA Digital Transformation Center on July 29, 2025, which introduced the facility and its initial programs as part of SU’s broader digital capacity-building initiatives.
The formal dedication and ribbon-cutting signal the full operationalization of the Center as a hub for instruction, extension, and industry-linked training, reinforcing SU’s commitment to inclusive, future-ready education through international collaboration.
