SU CoE expands global academic footprint through Taiwan symposium leadership, research presentations
The Silliman University College of Education (SU CoE) strengthened its global academic presence after its dean co-led an international faculty development workshop and faculty members presented research at the First Symposium on Faculty Development for Future-Ready Teaching and Learning held May 25–26, 2026, at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
SU CoE Dean Dr. Gina F. Bonior served as an invited member of the symposium’s Steering Committee, contributing to the planning and development of the international gathering that convened educators and academic leaders to discuss emerging directions in higher education, faculty mentorship, and digital learning.
Bonior also served as session chair and co-facilitated the faculty development workshop, “From Mentee to Mentor: Cultivating Excellence in Faculty Mentoring,” alongside Dr. Spencer Benson, Director of US-based Educational Innovations International (EII).
The workshop explored strategies for building sustainable mentoring cultures in higher education institutions and preparing faculty members for leadership roles.
Meanwhile, Teacher Education Department Chair Dr. Jasper Eric Catan and SU CoE faculty member Dr. Jin H. Genove showcased the College’s scholarly contributions through poster presentations of their respective studies, reflecting SU CoE’s continuing commitment to research dissemination and academic engagement on the international stage.
Catan presented the study, “Ethnographic Insights into Health, Identity, and Institutional Culture in Philippine Teacher Education Institutions,” which examined how stress, illness, and institutional exhaustion are discursively constructed in informal conversations among faculty and administrators in Philippine teacher education institutions. The study explored how educators use illness narratives and everyday conversations to articulate institutional pressures, emotional labor, and resistance to cultures of overwork in higher education.
Genove, meanwhile, presented the study “ICT Integration in Research among Nutrition and Dietetics Educators in Philippine Higher Education Institutions,” which investigated the degree of information and communication technology integration in research practices among Nutrition and Dietetics educators in both public and private higher education institutions in the Philippines. The study identified institutional support, training, research culture, and faculty competency as key factors influencing successful ICT integration in research.
Carrying the theme “Human-Centered and Open Education: Teaching and Learning in the Digital World,” the symposium examined the growing intersection of generative artificial intelligence, digital transformation, open education, faculty mentoring, and future-ready teaching and learning practices. Participants engaged in expert-led workshops, roundtable discussions, and research presentations designed to strengthen faculty development and enhance student learning in increasingly complex and technology-driven educational settings.
The symposium was co-organized by the Center for Teaching and Learning Development of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and the Taiwan Open Course and Education Consortium (TOCEC), with support from Educational Innovations International (EII), USA.
The Steering Committee included Dr. Yong-Shen Chen, Vice President for Academic Affairs of NYCU; Dr. Haydn Chen, Chief Strategy Officer of NYCU; Dr. Spencer Benson, Director of Educational Innovations International; Dr. Yi-Ju Tseng, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Development at NYCU; Dr. Kuei-Yuan Chan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at National Taiwan University; Dr. Theresa Kwong, Director of the Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning at Hong Kong Baptist University; and Dr. Gina F. Bonior, Dean of the Silliman University College of Education.
Reflecting on her invitation to join the symposium’s organizing team, Bonior credited the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) for opening the opportunity through an earlier faculty mentoring program.
“I am grateful to the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) because it was through a UBCHEA-funded program where I met my mentor Dr. Spencer, who recommended me to serve in the Steering Committee of the NYCU Faculty Development symposium,” she said.
“It was through this engagement that our faculty members learned about the abstract submission and presented their research in an international forum,” she added.
Bonior’s appointment to the Steering Committee underscores the growing international recognition of Silliman University College of Education’s contributions to teacher education and faculty development. Her participation also enabled SU CoE to contribute to broader regional and global conversations on human-centered education, open learning, and the preparation of educators for an increasingly evolving digital world.
(Written by Dr. Jasper Eric C. Catan)
