A new fellowship initiative jointly established by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) aims to empower academic leaders in the Philippines to spearhead innovative and impactful programs within higher education. Dubbed the Higher Education Innovation Leaders Fellowship Program, this endeavor is part of the broader United States-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Life-long Learning, commonly known as the Upskill initiative, which allocates $30 million over five years for this purpose.
The program will bring together 16 senior academic officials from various institutions across the Philippines for an intensive eight-month learning experience. Its primary goal is to equip these officials with the skills and insights necessary to drive innovation within their respective organizations. According to Ryan Washburn, the Mission Director of USAid Philippines, the initiative signifies a significant investment in cultivating leaders who will instigate positive change and fortify the higher education sector through innovative strategies and collaborative efforts.
The inaugural cohort includes representatives from CHEd as well as senior officials from prominent universities such as Ateneo de Davao University, De La Salle University Manila, and University of the Philippines, among others. Throughout the fellowship, participants will engage in diverse learning sessions covering global trends in higher education, strategies for organizational reform, and the development of innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness of higher education programs.
A notable feature of the program is a week-long immersion at Arizona State University, renowned for its innovative approaches to education. CHEd Chairman J. Prospero De Vera 3rd expressed optimism about the fellows' potential to contribute to transformative initiatives within the higher education landscape. He emphasized the importance of collective effort in strengthening the Philippine higher education system to foster inclusive growth.
