Mindanao State University – General Santos reaffirmed its commitment to global academic engagement through a successful celebration of International Affairs Week, held from November 29 to December 3, 2024. The event brought together academic partners from Indonesia and Japan and featured collaborative talks, cultural exchange activities, and partnership formalizations.
The first half of the four-day event welcomed Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, known for its Merdeka Belajar – Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program. The delegation engaged with the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH), particularly the Political Science and Sociology departments, to explore academic collaboration. They also joined the International Halal Food Festival, hosted by the Institute of Islamic, Arabic, and International Studies (IIAIS), which celebrated the diverse culinary traditions of Muslim communities in the Philippines.
In the succeeding days, MSU-Gensan hosted representatives from Politeknik Piksi Ganesha—Indonesia’s largest World-Class Polytechnic. Discussions focused on student mobility, faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and scholarships. A Letter of Intent was signed to formalize these academic partnerships.
On December 3, the university held a Japanese Studies Workshop in collaboration with the UP Asian Center and Japan Foundation. This initiative deepened participants’ knowledge of Japanese society and culture and further expanded MSU-Gensan’s academic network in East Asia.
The celebration culminated with campus tours, visits to the university’s Masjid, Fatima Mosque, and museum, showcasing MSU-Gensan’s academic strengths and cultural richness. Chancellor Atty. Shidik Zed T. Abantas emphasized the university’s drive to advance internationalization, stating, “We aim to be aggressive in faculty exchanges and academic collaborations.”
Dr. Anderson Villa, OIC-Director of the Office of International Affairs, underscored the university’s strategic direction. “These engagements reflect MSU-Gensan’s readiness to collaborate and innovate on a global scale,” he said.
Through this vibrant and productive International Affairs Week, MSU-Gensan has taken another significant step in strengthening its global academic footprint and building partnerships that align with its vision of excellence, inclusivity, and international relevance.
