Academe leaders hopeful education to take center stage in AEC

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Academe leaders were optimistic that education programs will also take the center stage aside from business and industries as the region prepares for integration of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) for a globally competitive region.

The state-run Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City has been preparing international education programs that would cater the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In a recent forum, some of the business leaders were doubtful and apprehensive it might not meet the deadline while expressing potentials to bring local products in the international market.

The AEC will be established by end of 2015 as part of the ASEAN Vision 2020, a plan for a stable and prosperous region. The roadmap was created by the Bali Concord II, which ASEAN leaders signed in 2003. 

One of the key provisions of the Bali Concord II was an ASEAN community to be established through three pillars, namely political and security cooperation, economic cooperation and socio-cultural cooperation. The pillars are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region.

Milabel Ho, president of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), was optimistic of the school offerings as they have worked on plans to go far in the international education course to prepare more this region. 

Ho said aside from the basic education courses, through its Language Development and Research Center (LDRC) WMSU is already ahead of the possible integration development.

The LDRC, with its director Prof. Julie Uy-Cabato has been working on various programs including the Job Enabling English Proficiency, dynamic education modules, and intensive language programs for foreign students. It is also working with the Instituto Cervantes, that offers Spanish and a number of Asian languages such as Mandarin, Nihongo and Bahasa Malay aimed at improving language competence.

Cabato, in a statement over its campus bulletin, described the program as “necessity in the global workplace” to prepare students to compete with graduates across the globe.

Ho said with LDRC, WMSU has been prepared for the AEC and the ASEAN integration.

“So we worked on plan to go even far in international education. In fact there are programs that will cater to our Asian community. As to question if we are ready, we are now preparing as we are the first one calling in for the other countries to come in,” Ho said at the sideline of the 110th Foundation Day.

“We have to see what our strong offering is, and we have started the language,” the WMSU executive added.

Ho said the WMSU has even established the Peace Institute and looked on the possibility of preparing a certificate curriculum in making the region more relevant to peace and development programs.