PUP: Taking The Challenge of Transnational Education
Dr. Dante G. Guevarra, PUP News, Volume VI, Issue No. 23, November 16-30, 2009(Published for PASUC's Official Magazine "BALIHAM" Christmas Issue)
A year ago, scholarly papers and presentations have flooded conferences here and abroad , tackling a pressing concern on higher education institutions-that of transnational education-something which, during the olden days was just within the turf of our western counterparts.
It was during the last three decades of the last century when, here in our country, strong resistance over anything that is transnational in nature was seen. One of those in the hit list was the transnationalization of business corporations which, according to nationalists and anti-US imperialist advocates were sugar-coated forms of economic and cultural imperialism.
Foreign visitors locate reference materials at the NALLRC library hub-MARK GEREZ
This phenomenon on the developed countries' command over what can be transferred transantionally is now becoming a thing of the past. The concept of transnationalization is now taken not anymore as a threat to the receiving countries' sovereignty but an opportunity for them to participate actively and positively in the transnationalizaion process. When I say receiving countries, I mean the less developed as well as developing countries such as ours.
With the advent of what is now called borderless society, phobic reactions to transnational processes are a passé. Flow of ideas, goods and services has become so dynamic that passive takers of such 'commodities' no longer exist (if it ever did exist).
With newly acquired books, students are eager to spend more time in the library-DANNY PATA
Here is where the opportunity lies-the opportunity for higher education institutions not only in the Philippines but in the whole Asian region to take part in an arena where educational expansion happens wherever in the world.
According to Sugimura (2008) , "Nowadays, Asian countries focus on expansion of higher education, and they have developed various methods of international student exchange in sending students abroad and receiving foreign students in particular through transnational programs. As a result, another new flow of international students, not only in a bilateral relationship but also multilateral relationships has emerged."
This trend poses a challenge to higher education institutions in the country, particularly to state universities and colleges.
We at PUP chose to take that challenge. Not just because we are capable of expanding in numbers (being the largest in the country in terms of tertiary student population), but primarily because we are fully aware of the inevitable and profound extent of globalization of education. This is something that we cannot dismiss nor deny. It is here and now. We have to act accordingly or we eventually cease to exist, function and justify our existence as an academic institution.
Students enjoy a new educational athmosphere inside the campus-DANNY PATA
But along with the courage and enthusiasm to take the challenge come our preparedness, willingness and responsibility to adhere to measures which are set by local as well as international policies and guidelines to ensure quality in the delivery of our education packages.
Our deep concern to follow the Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSG) on Transnational Education (TNE) as directed by the CHED Memorandum Order No. 2 series of 2008 on Transnational Education (TNE) which is anchored on the principles adopted by the UNESCO/Council of Europe as stated in the Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education (2001) can never be challenged for we have proven this then and now. All these years, we have always subjected our programs-and I mean all programs-from those in the undergraduate level to those which are in the graduate level , to accreditation . Modesty aside, PUP has the most number of accredited programs in the country, with 89% of all its programs accredited on various levels, mostly qualified for level 3 accreditation. It is also here in our university where the first and only Third Level Re-accredited status was granted by Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) to Communication and Language programs.
We know that we cannot just sit back, observe and let the fast-moving academic revolution unfold right before our very eyes without involving ourselves in the process. There is more than enough reason for us to get excited about what is happening in the national and international scenes.
In the recent report of the university's performance in licensure examination for instance, we have the following as our milestone achievements in the top ten board placers in the last five years: seven in 2009; 12 in 2008; seven in 2007; eight in 2006; and six in 2005. These cut-above-the rest performances were in the fields of accountancy; civil, electrical, mechanical and electronics and communications engineering; architecture and interior design; teacher education; library science; and chemistry.
Moreover, the PUP Open University System is continuously growing and reinventing its program offerings and modes of learning to realize its full potential of being one of major vehicles of transnational education packages.
As indicated in CMO No. 2 s. of 2008, the three categories of TNE are as follows:
(1) Distance education where: (a) institutional partners enter into equal relationship and deliver programs through distance education and both award the academic credit or degree; (b) the program is offered directly by an awarding institution with no local agent/franchisee/partner, in which case such institution would be known as the foreign higher education provider (FHEP); and (c) a Philippine higher education institution uses programs or courses created or owned by an FHEP under a license agreement but where credit may be awarded by the local institution.
Conventional mode of education offered transnationally where: (a) partners enter into an equal relationship and deliver programs face-to-face and both institutions award credits of degrees; (b) conventional programs offered transnationally by an FHEP with a local branch in the Philippines, or a Philippine HEI with a foreign branch; and (c) conventional programs offered by an FHEP through a franchiser or a local partner and credit is awarded by the FHEP.
Blended learning where: (a) partners enter into an equal relationship and deliver programs using blended or resources-based learning techniques with both institutions awarding the credit or degrees; and (b) conventional programs offered transnationally by an FHEP with a local branch in the Philippines, or a Philippine HEI with a foreign branch.
It is essential to note here that the three schools which we have in the PUP-OUS-the School of Distance Education, School of Open Learning and School of Professional Studies were so designed to respond to the needs of transnational education system.
Lastly, we also realize the importance of an office which will establish linkages and mutual cooperation with other international academic institutions, reason why in 2005, we created the Office of International Affairs under the Office of the Executive Vice President of the university. To date, we have a little less than thirty international linkages with different countries which include Korea, China, Japan, England, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Sudan, Afghanistan, Cuba, Timor Leste and Thailand.
Looking ahead guided with the vision of being a Total University, PUP sees itself not just as a responsible but a responsive provider of transnational education services in Asia.