VSU prexy joins as discussant at 2025 Philippine Higher Education Leadership Summit in UPLB

VSU President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes (rightmost) joins fellow university heads as a discussant during the 2025 Philippine Higher Education Leadership Summit at UPLB.

Visayas State University President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes joined this year’s Philippine Higher Education Leadership Summit as one of the discussants during the Roundtable Discussion held on October 16, 2025, at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). 

The event, organized by the UPLB Office for Institutional Development in Higher Education (OIDHE) in coordination with the Office of the Chancellor, carried the theme “Investing in the Next-generation Scientists through Professional Insights and Research Experience (INSPIRE).”

The summit convened more than 150 higher education leaders and administrators from across the country to exchange perspectives on the evolving landscape of higher education, agricultural transformation, and global learning. 

President Yepes joined fellow university heads Dr. Jude A. Duarte of Southern Leyte State University, Dr. Wilfredo A. Dumale Jr. of Nueva Vizcaya State University, Dr. Boyet L. Batang of Isabela State University, Dr. Amihan A. Alcazar of Urdaneta City University, and Dr. Teodosia Merlin C. Suarez of De La Salle Lipa. 

The discussion also included Dr. Jae-Sung Lee, Project Manager of the UPLB-KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)-IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) Project, with UPLB Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr. serving as moderator.

In her discussion, President Yepes shared VSU’s leadership practices that center on sustainability, research productivity, and governance. 

“In VSU, we have built systems that place responsiveness to community needs at the core of our academic, research, and extension functions. We are able to generate results that matter for our stakeholders and the public through aligning our institutional strategies with the agricultural and environmental realities,” she said.

Chancellor Camacho acknowledged VSU as one of UPLB’s enduring partners in education and research, citing its long-standing partnership between the two institutions.

Supporting discussions during the summit included presentations from various institutions and experts that addressed the emerging directions of higher education in the Philippines. 

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) discussed the Internationalization Agenda and Impact Rankings, emphasizing the need for global competitiveness among Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) presented Aligning Academic Strategies of HEIs with Agricultural Transformation. 

Nagoya University shared its experience on Expanding Horizons through Transnational Doctoral Programs, while the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science tackled Integrating Regenerative Systems in Agricultural Education and Research. 

The UPLB College of Development Communication explored Transforming Global Learning through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), focusing on innovative ways of connecting universities through virtual exchanges.

Dr. Yepes noted that VSU’s success is built on evidence-based leadership and clear alignment with the university’s development goals. This approach, she said, allows VSU to respond effectively to agricultural and environmental challenges while contributing to regional and national growth.

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.