SU faculty members complete United Board Social Entrepreneurship program
Three (3) faculty members from Silliman University (SU) completed the Seeds of Change: Initiating Social Entrepreneurship in University Education program of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA), on January 23, 2026, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Dr. Teodora A. Cubelo, Director of the Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ICLS), Asst. Prof. Novee E. Maestrecampo Jr., Director of the Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning (OCESL), and Asst. Prof. Frestille Mae Cuello of the College of Business Administration (CBA) joined participants from 14 higher education institutions (HEIs) across India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The program consisted of a series of online learning sessions facilitated by UBCHEA in partnership with the Payap–Yunus Social Business Center (P-YSBC) and the Center for Social Impact (CSI) of Payap University.
Asst. Prof. Novee E. Maestrecampo Jr. (center right), Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning (OCESL) director, receives his certificate from Dr. Pareena Gupta Lawrence (center left), UBCHEA president. They are joined by Dr. Sandra Joseph (left), Consultant, Program and Assessment officer; and Dr. Jakarin Srimoon, UBCHEA Leadership Development program director.
Sessions culminated in a three-day onsite workshop focused on integrating social entrepreneurship into degree programs, micro-credentials, and non-degree offerings, complemented by panel discussions on curriculum design and engagements with social entrepreneurs based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The program concluded at Payap University in Chiang Mai.
Maestrecampo represented the Philippine cohort during the reflection session, where he underscored the need to rethink both the purpose and the pathways for advancing social entrepreneurship in higher education institutions.
He emphasized grounding social entrepreneurship in the mission of Christian higher education, where learning and service are understood as expressions of faith in action, and where students are formed into ethically and socially responsible individuals capable of becoming social entrepreneurs and innovators across disciplines.
Participants and organizers gather for a photo.
Maestrecampo further highlighted that communities should be regarded not merely as recipients of development, but as co-creators of sustainable, community-driven social enterprises anchored on the principles of participation, empowerment, and solidarity.
