The University of the Philippines Mindanao forged linkages with two higher education institutions (HEI), one in Mindanao and the other in the US, for academic and research exchange and the development of future leaders in their respective fields. The linkages were initiated by UPMin’s Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA).
Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao signed the renewal of UP Mindanao’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), located in Texas, USA, with Provost Deborah Bordelon, UHD Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs as UHD’s signatory.
The renewed MOU seeks to advance the collaborative ideas and objectives of UP Mindanao and UHD relating to data analytics, bioinformatics, decision-support systems in health, and other related initiatives and to promote education, outreach, service, and research. The current coordinators for the cooperation program are UHD’s Prof. Dexter Cahoy and Associate Prof. Edwin Tecarro and UP Mindanao’s Prof. May Anne Mata. Under the initial MOU, Prof. Tecarro served as a DOST-Balik Scientist to UP Mindanao in 2023-24, imparting his expertise in the use of mathematics in combating dengue and in interdisciplinary collaboration for public health.
Chancellor Lyre Murao also signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology (NMSCST), represented by College President Nelson Cabral. The MOA with NMSCST, located in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, will have the two HEIs collaborate on internship programs for NMSCST’s BS Biology and BS Mathematics students.
UP Mindanao faculty and staff will provide the interns with the relevant orientation governed by UP Mindanao’s ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System. The interns will be deployed in the academic departments and allied research programs in the biology and mathematics programs which are accredited by the ASEAN Universities Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA).
The linkages align with UP’s mandate to lead in higher education, its strategic thrust for academic excellence and partnerships, and the sustainable development goals for quality education.
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