BRIDGING BORDERS: Navigating Students and Instructor’s Mobility Programs for World Class Learning Experience
Dr. Josefa G. Carrillo, Director for International Affairs and Charter President of the Association of International Relations Officers in Region IV-A (AIRO4A), served as the resource speaker in the seminar titled “Bridging Borders: Navigating Student and Instructors’ Mobility Programs for a World-Class Learning Experience.” The event was attended by more than one hundred graduate students from the PhD in Educational Management (EM) and PhD in Business Management (BM) programs of the University of Perpetual Help System Laguna (UPHSL).
Dr. Carrillo discussed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Orders on internationalization—CMO No. 55, s. 2016; CMO No. 26, s. 2015; CMO No. 12, s. 2019; and CMO No. 10, s. 2023—which serve as frameworks for institutional alignment with global education standards. She highlighted how these directives guide higher education i nstitutions in promoting international collaboration, academic mobility, and transnational partnerships that prepare globally competent learners and professionals. These efforts directly support SDG 4: Quality Education, aiming to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
In her inspirational institutional story, Dr. Carrillo shared UPHSL’s journey to internationalization, centered on the EMPOWER Project, which she authored. The project Enhancing Management Practices through Organizational Workplace Empowerment and Relationships represents UPHSL’s strategic model for fostering leadership, collaboration, and innovation. It was under this initiative that UPHSL earned global recognition in the 2025 WURI Rankings, placing 17th worldwide under the category “Empower-Based Management.” This distinction marked a milestone for UPHSL’s continuous transformation and commitment to excellence in global education, contributing to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth through the development of globally competent professionals ready to engage in innovative work environments.
Dr. Carrillo also presented the Seven Key Internationalization Initiatives for Global Engagement, which include student and faculty exchanges, joint academic programs, research collaborations, internship and job placements abroad, international conferences, benchmarking, and community outreach programs. Each initiative reflects UPHSL’s pursuit of holistic, globally engaged education, aligning with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, which emphasizes collaboration between institutions to achieve sustainable development through shared knowledge, research, and innovation.
As she concluded, Dr. Carrillo left an empowering message to the students:
"As future education leaders, your journey toward internationalization begins now, not after graduation, but today! The global stage awaits your vision, initiative, and courage to engage. Each of you has the capacity to shape how learning transcends boundaries, by building networks, pursuing exchanges, initiating research collaborations, and creating opportunities that connect classrooms to the world."
Her words inspired a strong call to action, reminding everyone that the path to internationalization begins with empowered leadership beyond borders, while contributing to sustainable development on a global scale.