What works in one country can teach another, and, in 2025, the University of the Cordilleras (UC) went looking for those lessons. Through study visits, joint research and international conferences, UC reviewed comparative approaches in education, health care, software engineering and criminal justice, and brought international best practice home to tackle the SDGs.
Benchmarking Higher Education Practice and Academic Exchange
January 5–13, 2025. Pusan National University Biomedical Engineering students led interactive sessions for UC Integrated School students, and the two institutions signed a Memorandum of Agreement on January 10 to promote innovative educational practices and global competencies (SDG 4, SDG 10, SDG 17).
June 12–16, 2025. UC’s iLEAD delegation, 16 senior administrators, deans and directors, visited Kun Shan University and I-Shou University in Taiwan to benchmark international best practices. The visits produced Memoranda of Understanding on faculty and student exchange, joint research and internships, and ocular visits to Taiwanese hotels for the Student Internship Abroad Program.
Comparative Learning in Health Care and Nursing
July 7–18, 2025. Dr. Reueben Victor Laguitan completed the Advanced Healthcare Professional Training Program at Taipei Medical University, exploring digital healthcare and global health systems to enhance teaching, research and the development of UC’s new Medical Laboratory Science program.
July 15–16, 2025. The College of Nursing took part in the 5th NEPRAGuild Biennial International Conference at the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan, themed “Our Nurses. Our Future. The Economic Power of Care through C.O.N.V.E.R.G.E.N.C.E.” Dean Dr. Judith Odanée G. Magwilang gave a plenary talk, UC students presented oral and poster research, and Kert Rencis Padilla won Best Oral Presenter in the student category. International speakers from Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the USA joined an ASEAN panel on nursing education, and the conference launched the Nurse Educators and Practitioners Journal (SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8).
Computing and Software Engineering Research
October 24–26, 2025. CITCS students presented systematic literature reviews on Scrum, DevSecOps and Kanban at the 7th World Symposium on Software Engineering at Okayama University, Japan, comparing published approaches to software development and security (SDG 4, SDG 9, SDG 17).
Justice and Human Rights Research with Ghent University
September 16 to December 14, 2025. Dr. Debbie Karyle F. Arquero of CCJE began a Global Minds Short Research Stay at Ghent University, Belgium, under Professor Dr. Tom Vander Beken, studying familial facilitation and socio-economic drivers of live-streamed child sexual exploitation in the Philippines.
October 16 to November 11, 2025. Dr. Nica D. Togana of CCJE conducted her Global Minds research stay under Professor Dr. Jelle Janssens, studying the Philippine anti-drug campaign from a criminology of war perspective. The program strengthens research and educational capacity among partner institutions in the Global South and supports evidence-based human rights advocacy (SDG 16).
SDG Alignment
| SDG | Indicator or Target | How UC’s 2025 initiatives align |
| 3 – Good Health and Well-Being | Global health systems | TMU training and NEPRAGuild gave UC nursing and laboratory science programs international benchmarks. |
| 4 – Quality Education | 4.3, 4.7 | iLEAD, Pusan and Taiwan partnerships shaped exchange, curriculum and internship practice. |
| 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | Rights-based justice research | Global Minds research stays with Ghent University examined drug policy and child exploitation. |
| 17 – Partnerships for the Goals | 17.16 | International MoUs, conferences and joint research strengthened global partnerships. |
References:
CITCS Computer Science students showcase research at the 7th International Software Engineering Symposium in Japan – CITCS @UC. (2025b, October 28). https://citcs.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/10/28/citcs-computer-science-students-showcase-research-at-the-7th-international-software-engineering-symposium-in-japan/
Empowering the Future of Nursing through Convergence: 5th NEPRAGuild Biennial International Conference Held in Vigan – CoNAHS @UC. (2025, July 17). https://conahs.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/07/17/empowering-the-future-of-nursing-through-convergence-5th-nepraguild-biennial-international-conference-held-in-vigan/
Global Minds Scholarship: UC-CCJE Faculty to Conduct Research at Ghent University – CCJE @UC. (2025, November 3). https://ccje.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/11/03/global-minds-scholarship-uc-ccje-faculty-to-conduct-research-at-ghent-university/
UC fortifies global health ties as Dr. Laguitan completes TMU Advanced Healthcare training Program in Taiwan – GEO @UC. (2025b, August 30). https://geo.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/08/30/uc-fortifies-global-health-ties-as-dr-laguitan-completes-tmu-advanced-healthcare-training-program-in-taiwan/
UC Integrated School and Pusan National University forge global partnership – GEO @UC. (2025b, January 17). https://geo.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/01/17/uc-integrated-school-and-pusan-national-university-forge-global-partnership/
UC Launches iLEAD Program to Strengthen Global Academic Engagements – GEO @UC. (2025b, June 28). https://geo.uc-bcf.edu.ph/2025/06/28/uc-launches-ilead-program-to-strengthen-global-academic-engagements/
