ALIGNING its academic programs to meet industry needs, Adamson University (AdU) recently intensified its efforts in improving the quality of education by introducing a new learning paradigm that aims to foster the culture of research and entrepreneurship among its staff and students. As one of the largest private Catholic educational institutions in the country, AdU launched a new educational model that incorporates entrepreneurship in all its academic programs and course syllabi, which, in turn, encourages its students to be tech-savvy and resourceful in coming up with new ideas and business models.
“A positive work attitude or a good grasp of technical know-how is no longer enough to succeed in today’s world. Entrepreneurs and managers must also possess good communication skills in order to sell their ideas and manage their businesses well,” AdU President Fr. Gregg L. Bañaga Jr., CM, said.
The 83-year-old university is also currently promoting research by hiring a high-caliber research consultant and establishing a committee to look into its research programs, academic policies and incentives scheme to encourage more personnel to undertake research work. “This way, we will be able to encourage our professors to apply for a new ‘scientific career track,’ embark on more patent researches and invention projects,” Father Bañaga said. Later this year, the university will fulfill its plans to establish a University Research Center to spearhead industry-based researches and to act as a conduit for external research grants.
The university president said AdU is focusing on the utilization of commercialized knowledge and awareness of intellectual property rights via its Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO), as well as by entering into joint-venture and partnership agreements with angel investors.
As of 2015 the university has three inventions whose patents are pending. AdU’s ITSO was given the Anak ni Juan Award by the Intellectual Property Office Philippines (IPOPHL) for having filed the biggest number of patents and PCT applications under the IPOPHL’s Patent Protection Incentive Package, also known as Juan’s Thousand Inventions.
Moving towards the “internationalization” and “residentialization” of its campus, AdU has also focused on increasing the number of its foreign students and exchange-students abroad through partnerships and agreements with other global institutions.
Fr. Bañaga said, “Filipino students are very smart and competitive. We believe we are slowly moving towards a more progressive country in terms of education.”
Among its most recent ventures include the partnership between the university’s St. Vincent School of Technology (SVST) and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium; and an educational exchange and cooperation agreement with Nambu University and Chunnam Techno University in South Korea.
Apart from this, the university is also concentrating on providing open online courses (MOOC) and transnational education (TDEC), which are both in line with the 2015 ASEAN Integration.
“We are now transitioning towards a more progressive way of learning by harmonizing our programs with trends in the industry. To achieve this, we have created alternative modes of delivering education such as online, blended mode and twinning programs,” Fr. Bañaga said.
To date, AdU has forged over 47 partnerships and agreements with business and educational institutions in and out of the Philippines. In terms of student population, the university has since then increased the number of its international students, which today accounts for nearly 2.2% percent of its overall population.