UM and UBJ’s Faculty Exchange Program Reaches Midway Milestone

The University of Mindanao (UM) reaches midway in its faculty exchange program engagement with Universitas Bhayangkara Jakarta Raya (UBJ) in Indonesia, marking yet again a significant phase in fostering international academic collaboration. The six-month program primarily focuses on research collaboration and includes a three-month on-site exchange designed to allow the UM and UBJ faculty members to contribute to and learn from UM and UBJ as both sending and host institutions.

Representing UM in the program are Dr. Rowela Cartin-Pecson from the College of Criminal Justice Education and Dr. Phyll Jhann E. Gildore from the College of Teacher Education. They arrived in Indonesia on January 22, 2024, effectively commencing the program, and returned to the Philippines on April 16, 2024. The three-month period was a significant part of said academic collaboration, offering the faculty members the opportunities to hold public and guest lectures, participate in team teaching, conduct community services, and experience cultural immersions, all hosted and organized by UBJ.

In the course of the exchange, Dr. Cartin-Pecson is conducting a comparative analysis of the cybercrime laws in the Philippines and Indonesia, while Dr. Gildore systematically reviews effective reading intervention strategies in Indonesian primary grades. Their ongoing research collaborations are expected to benefit the respective academic communities in both countries and lay foundations for future research on cybercrime and reading literacy.

As the program continues, UM's commitment to internationalization and academic excellence is all the more demonstrated, sustaining a steadily increasing pace for more impactful collaborations with other international institutions.