In line with its mission, the British Council, the United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, is bringing leaders, academics, and industry trailblazers for a Global Education Dialogue in Cebu City, Philippines to be held on the 25th and 26th of September to discuss and weigh in on the role of universities as agents of social change.
With this year’s topic “Universities as agents of social change: How do universities create economic and social equity?” the event will have five sessions that will shed light on multiple questions:
• Universities contribute to communities through knowledge and skill generation but what is their role as agents of social change?
• What is the social value of a university to its locality, its community, its nation?
• How can universities help with social mobility, promote fairness and inclusion, greater democratic engagement, public outreach and access to cultural resources?
• In the future, what is the role of university in creating prosperity and stability while ensuring and leading in equity?
• As universities push for greater sustainability, how can they continue to create shared public value?
Session 1: Universities as Agents of Social Change, would be chaired by Ms Jacqueline Jenkins, Head of HE Engagement, Education and Society British Council, United Kingdom. The speakers’ list would include Dr. Caroline Paunov, Economist, OECD Directorate for Science Technology and Industry and Dr. Sue Allen, Changemaker Academic Project Lead, Northampton University, United Kingdom.
Session 2: The Regional Imperative, would be chaired by Dr. Sue Allen, with Dr. Juan Miguel Luz, Associate Dean, Center for Development Management, Asian Institute of Management, Philippines and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Islamabad speaking.
Session 3 is made up of five individual panels each considering the role of universities in an important social issue and challenge. What are the role of universities in addressing social change issues – gender equality, public health, disaster risk reduction and management, measuring impact and social enterprise?
Session 3A would be chaired and moderated by Prof. Bernadette Neri, Coordinator, University of the Philippines Gender Office, Philippines. The session’s speakers Dr. Philwha Chang, Professor, Department of Women’s Studies Ewha Womans University, Seoul Korea and Prof. Marea Nicholson Associate Vice-Chancellor of Australian Catholic University, Australia would be talking about Gender Equality.
Session 3B would be chaired and moderated by Ms. Grace Halcon. The session’s speakers Ms. Nova Carcoran, Senior Lecturer – MSc Public Health Award Leader Department of Health, Sport and Science Lower Glyntaff Campus University of South Wales, United Kingdom and Dr. Maria Rosario S. Vergeire, Chief, Health Research Division Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau Department of Health, Philippines would talk about Health.
Session 3C would be chaired and moderated by Dr. Leland Joseph Dela Cruz, Director, Development Studies Program & Office for Social Concern & Involvement, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. The session’s speakers Dr. Chan Kam-tong, Principal Lecturer, Social Policy and Administration The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong and Ms. Ma. Flora May Cerna, Project Lead, Philippines would be talking about Measuring Impact.
Session 3D would be chaired and moderated by Mr. Onuora Daniels, Programme Coordinator Disaster Preparedness and Response/ Climate Change Adaptation Programme, World Food. The session’s speakers Dr. Raymundo D. Rovillos, Chancellor, University of the Philippines Baguio, Philippines, Ms. Leilani Pavilando, Director, Bicol University Extension Service Centre, Philippines; Prof. Dr. Panitan Lukkunaprasit, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering Center of Excellence in Earthquake Engineering and Vibration, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; and Assoc, Prof. Supot Teachavorasinskun, D.Eng. Associate Professor and Director Center of Excellence in Earthquake Engineering and Vibration, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand would talk about Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.
Session 3E would be chaired and moderated by Lovelaine Basillote, Executive Director, Philippine Business for Education. The session’s speakers Mr. Mariel Vincent Rapisura, President, Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI), Philippines; Dr. Hoang Van Phu, Vice Dean of International School, Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam; and Dr. Maria Ninita Radyati, Director, Center for Entrepreneurship, Change and Third Sector Trisakti University Jakarta, Indonesia would talk about Social Enterprise.
Session 4: Implementing Social Change Within a University, would be chaired by Ms. Lovelain Basilote and the speakers’ list would include Dr. Leland Joseph Dela Cruz, Prof. Marea Nicholson, and Dr. Maria Ninita Radyati.
Session 5: Next Steps for Universities and Policy Makers, would be chaired by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed. The panel would be composed of Dr. Caroline Paunov, Dr Sue Allen, Ms Jutta Neitzel, Head of Operations, World Food Programme Philippines and Hon. Roman T. Romulo, Chairman, Committee on Higher and Technical Education, House of Representatives, Philippines.
To welcome the event, Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, Chairperson, Commission on Higher Education, Government of the Philippines; Hon. Hilario P. Davide, Provincial Governor, Cebu, Philippines; and Mr. Nicholas Thomas, Country Director, British Council, Philippines, will also be in attendance.
As frontrunners in providing and shaping human capital, the universities’ growing role and its significance in social change is becoming an increasingly compelling issue. The 2014 Global Education Dialogues provides a platform for this issue to be discussed through dialogue and intellectual discourse, by leaders, academics, and trailblazers—all with different perspectives—all trying to address the ever shifting status-quo presented by an ever changing society.