BACK TO: University of the Futures 

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the UP Open University (UPOU) is expected not only for our future but also as “university of the futures.”

Last February 28, it was outgoing Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, PhD and incoming Chancellor Joanne V. Serrano, PhD who led “the charge” with their separate statements on the occasion that was filled with worthy activities participated in by alumni, students, faculty, administrators, and other key stakeholders at the Open U headquarters in Los Banos, Laguna.

UP President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez administered Dr. Serrano’s oath as the newly appointed UPOU leader, who thanked her predecessors and other colleagues. She also introduced the key university officials before a crowd of educators and other guests, vowing to sustain the gains of the university, steering it to greater heights, and reaffirming its commitment to public service.

Its Tri-Conference 2025 bared an overall theme of “Constancy, Change and Co-existence.” The weeklong hybrid TriCon was an international conference featuring three conferences: the International Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (ICODeL), the International Symposium on Education and AI Convergence (ISEAC), and the International Symposium for ASEAN Studies (ISAS).

Universities braved interconnected adversities and had to stand the tests of time, with the UPOU realizing “multidisciplinary to pluridisciplinary solutions, with special emphasis on issues related to sustainable education, one health, and threats in digital landscapes.”

Done for the event were ASEAN member countries’ creative and research works such as films, multimedia materials, and research that reflected respective country narratives and cultures. Sub-themes and topics of presenters included:

·        Entrepreneurship, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation in ASEAN

·        Indigenous Peoples, Children, Gender, Social Inclusion, and Empowerment in ASEAN

·        Disaster Management, Climate Change, and ASEAN Community Resilience

·        Sustainable Cultural Heritage, Traditions, and Popular Culture in ASEAN

·        ASEAN Sustainable Cities and Communities

·        ASEAN Food Security, Nutrition, and Health

(Sessions were available on the dashboard on their scheduled day/s.)

Philippine Star entertainment writer/editor Jerry Donato, MDC and Alessandra “Apples” Jalandoni, DComm who worked as a reporter, producer, and public affairs show host with various broadcasting networks, most notably ABS-CBN News, engaged with fellow UPOU graduates attending the affair online and onsite with respective keynotes “Building Bridges, Creating Futures: The Alumni Advantage” and “Legacy and Leadership: Redefining Success Through Community.”

Leading the alumni social event dubbed “Coming Home: Reuniting, Reviving, and Rebuilding” was Tanya Capuli, MA, while success stories were heard from guest speakers Rheo Umil, CPA, and Dr. Elvira Catangay.

Early on, the ASEAN Community Gallery and Fair and other Exhibits were launched at the UPOU CCDL Auditorium. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Dr. Bandalaria, Dr. Serrano, and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and Chair of the UPOU 30th Anniversary Committee, Dr. Jean A. Saludadez. They welcomed hundreds of participants and guests.

Founded on February 23, 1995, the UPOU has evolved over the years as this public research university pioneered online teaching and learning and continues to play a leading role in the study and practice of open learning and distance education. It is the fifth constituent university of the UP System, students of which are mostly based in the Philippines but all curricular offerings can be taken in any country.

The future of UoF

In recent years, the UPOU conducted a series of roundtable discussions about UoF or the University of the Future. Roughly six years ago, Dr. Bandalaria had an outstanding contribution in unpacking it when she said at a National Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (NCODeL):

“(UoF) pushes the forefront of important concepts like future-proof degrees and future-ready leaders with ethical and open science perspectives. When we talk of future-proof degrees, we refer to the basic qualifications of training that would facilitate the individuals to undergo career shifts throughout his or her lifetime and would serve as foundations for life-long learning. Economies say young people should plan for five careers in a lifetime so are we preparing our students and our graduates towards that. In short, are the degrees we are offering future-proof? Three years ago, the World Economic Forum predicted that 65 percent of primary school-aged children will end up working in jobs that don’t yet exist so how are we preparing our universities for that kind of scenario? Considering the dynamics that impact education, future group degrees call for a future-proof education system that has the essence of education 6.0 the way we articulated it and which can be described—for me, at least in my own articulation of it—as education with a conscience.”

Remember that she imparted that in 2019; the next months thereafter, we had a worldwide trend of pandemic-induced (tertiary) school shutdowns. Well, what we heard/read from the likes of Chancellor Bandalaria should have prompted all of us, not just education authorities, to really, really be ready for the future. Notwithstanding all the love in the world, all of us had our collective failure in 2020-2021 in terms of the maintenance of or return to academic normalcy.

Conceptual. And yet:

Is it not scientifically prophetic? For an ambitious project such as UoF, laurels are in order. Tatak UP. Mabuhay ang Open University.