Tandag Surigao Delsur, Philippine – May 21st, 2025

The International Educators’ Congress 2025 commenced its plenary sessions today, May 21, at the North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) – Main Campus, setting the stage for high-level discussions on global education, research collaboration, and internationalization.

Kicking off the morning lineup was Ms. Jennifer Montero, External Consultant and Regional Manager from Camosun College in Canada, who presented “C.O.B.O.T.S.: Cultivating Optimal Bridges for Outstanding Teachers and Scholars.” Her talk emphasized building strong global networks for academic excellence and faculty empowerment.

Following Dr. Montero, two experts from Politeknik Piksi Ganesha in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia—Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prihartono and Dr. Santy Christinawati—took the stage to discuss international research collaboration. Dr. Prihartono, presenting via multimedia presentation, and Dr. Christinawati, speaking onsite, tackled the benefits, challenges, and strategies for forging productive global academic partnerships. 

Adding to the excitement of the audience was Dr. Christinawati’s announcement of the benefits and offers awaiting student-teachers who will undertake their internships at Politeknik Piksi Ganesha, including free travel expenses and accommodation, which sparked strong interest and enthusiasm for future international placements.

Prof. Mochamad Nursalim, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, continued the conversation on academic mobility, with a presentation focused on the dynamics of global student mobility and internships in ASEAN, via Zoom. 

This was followed by Prof. Jesus Rafael Jarata, Director for International Affairs at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), who presented “Strategic Approaches to Global Internship Exchanges.” In his talk, he introduced the best practices of their university relevant to mechanisms on exchange programs.  The morning session concluded with an open forum, providing participants an opportunity for dialogue with the speakers on research, mobility, and international education.

Author: Santy Christinawati