SU showcases internationalization best practices at 2026 IRO Visayas Congress
Silliman University highlighted its commitment to global engagement at the 2026 International Relations Officers (IRO) Visayas Congress, with Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, Officer-in-Charge Director of the Internationalization Office, presenting SU’s best practices in internationalization during the regional gathering held June 30 to July 1, 2026 at Siquijor State College in Larena, Siquijor.
In her 15-minute presentation, Villordon outlined Silliman’s strategic approach to internationalization through six key pillars: global partnerships and international academic networks; student mobility, global learning, and intercultural engagement; faculty and staff international engagement and capacity building; international research, innovation, and knowledge production; community engagement through global-local (glocal) partnerships; and internationalization at home (IaH), which brings global learning opportunities to the campus community.
SU’s growing network of international academic partnerships includes collaborations with Hannam University and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), participation in the Consortium for Study Abroad in the Philippines (CSAP), and programs that promote student and faculty exchanges, international research, leadership development, and intercultural learning.
Villordon also underscored SU’s commitment to “internationalization at home” through language learning initiatives, intercultural communication programs, and partnerships that provide students with global learning experiences without leaving the country.
The congress gathered around a hundred International Relations Officers (IROs) from selected higher education institutions (HEIs) across Regions VI, VII, VIII, and XVIII to discuss current developments in higher education internationalization and strengthen institutional capacities for global engagement.
Organized by the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office (CHEDRO) XVIII–Negros Island Region in partnership with the CHED International Affairs Service (IAS), CHED Regional Office VI–Western Visayas, and Siquijor State College, the congress carried the theme, “Advancing Inclusive and Impact-Driven Internationalization for Future-Ready Philippine HEIs.”
The activity was conducted in line with CHED Memorandum Order No. 55, series of 2016, or the Policy Framework and Strategies on the Internationalization of Philippine Higher Education, and supports CHED’s A.C.H.I.E.V.E. agenda on expanding and institutionalizing impact-driven internationalization strategies.
Throughout the two-day congress, participants discussed current CHED policies, priorities, and developments on internationalization and transnational higher education, exchanged best practices and innovative approaches in international partnerships and mobility programs, and explored ways to strengthen institutional planning, monitoring, and research collaborations aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
