VSU opens World Soils Day 2025 with lecture series led by Polish partners

Visayas State University (VSU) kicked off its week-long celebration of World Soil Day 2025 with an international lecture series led by Dr. Marcin Świtońiak and Dr. Przemysław Charzyński of Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń, Poland. 

The event, held on December 1, 2025, served as the opening activity for this year’s celebration themed “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities.”

(Photo courtesy of the VSU Organization of Soil Science Majors)

The lecture provided an overview of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, the global classification system used by researchers to identify and describe soil resources. Participants also learned about Poland’s environmental landscapes, geography, culture, and tourism which broadened the international perspective of soil science education at VSU. 

Dr. Deejay M. Lumanao, Head of the Department of Soil Science (VSU-DSS), recognized the significance of hosting the lecture to start the week-long celebration. 

“We are grateful for this opportunity to learn directly from experts who are actively teaching and contributing to the global soil science community. Engagements like this widen our understanding of soils from different regions of the world,” Dr. Lumanao said.

(Photo courtesy of the VSU Organization of Soil Science Majors)

As part of their visit, the NCU professors also donated Soil Science reference books to the department. These materials will support both instruction and student research. This was formally received by the faculty members during the lecture session.

On the evening of December 1, VSU President Prose Ivy G. Yepes, along with some of the Vice Presidents, met with the NCU delegation in a fellowship dinner, where they discussed further academic cooperation, particularly in areas where both universities have strong expertise and shared research interests.

A field activity followed on December 2 to allow students and faculty to apply classification methods and observe soil characteristics in real environments around the campus.

The visit is part of ongoing mobility and R&D exchanges between VSU and NCU under the Erasmus+ Program. These engagements have helped expand exposure of VSU students and faculty to scientific practices from European institutions.

This international linkage is also being facilitated by the VSU International Affairs and Relations Office (IARO), strengthening global connectivity for VSU.

The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science (FAFS) Dr. Suzette B. Lina said that the VSU-DSS looks forward to continuing the work with NCU under Erasmus+. 

“We hope this is only the beginning of many more collaborative initiatives that will grow our instruction, research, and extension programs in soil science,” she added.

VSU continues to take part in global observances of World Soil Day, supporting activities that promote sustainable land use, food security, and environmental stewardship. Additional lectures, field sessions, and educational events will run through the week, allowing students to broaden their learning about soil resources amid expanding cities and changing climate conditions.

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

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