The Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) hosted the Ceremonial Signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with partner institutions from Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia on 10 April 2026 at the Living Room, 9/F Faber Hall, Community Center of the First Companions, with partner representatives joining via Zoom video conference.
The ceremony marked both new and renewed commitments to academic cooperation. ADDU was represented by its President, Fr. Karel S. San Juan, SJ, together with the University administrators.
In his message, Fr. San Juan shared that while each agreement carries its own direction, the occasion reflects a shared recognition that “our work in higher education is strengthened when we find ways to engage one another more intentionally.”
Also present during the ceremony was Dr. Evelyn Ecle, Education Supervisor II and Focal Person for Internationalization Programs of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region XI, representing Dr. Maricar R. Casquejo, CESO III, Regional Director of CHED Region XI. In her message, she expressed CHED’s support and noted that partnerships such as these widen access to global learning opportunities, build institutional capacity, and create avenues for collaboration that benefit both local and international communities. She added that CHED continues to work alongside higher education institutions in advancing internationalization efforts through policy support and program initiatives.
The partner institutions in the simultaneous MOU signing include Nipissing University (Canada), Soegijapranata Catholic University (Indonesia), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (Malaysia), Hachinohe Gakuin University (Japan), Charlton Brown (Australia), Telkom University (Indonesia), and Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology (Canada).
Representing these institutions were Mr. Kyle Weatherall, BA, Manager for International Recruitment of Nipissing University; Prof. Dr. Berta Retnawati, Vice Rector for Academics, Students and Alumni Affairs and Acting Rector of Soegijapranata Catholic University; Prof. Say Sok Kwan, Vice President and Associate Professor of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology; Mr. Kobayashi, University President, and Mrs. Sugiyama, Junior College President of Hachinohe Gakuin University; Ms. Janene Barrett, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Philip Fung, Group Director for International Business of the NIET Group representing Charlton Brown; Dr. Parman Sukarno, Vice Rector for Academic and Strategic Planning of Telkom University; and Mr. Ahmed Baghdady, Executive Director for International Recruitment and Market Development of Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology.
The agreements outline several areas of collaboration. These include student and faculty mobility through exchange programs and short-term academic engagements. Faculty members may take part in visiting professorships, guest lectures, and collaborative teaching. The partnerships also open pathways for Transnational Higher Education, including dual degree programs and academic progression arrangements. At the same time, they support virtual engagement through the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).
As Fr. San Juan noted, while the signed agreements provide a framework, “the real substance of these agreements will depend on how we carry them forward—through sustained engagement, through concrete initiatives, and through relationships that we continue to build over time.”
Looking ahead, Ateneo de Davao approaches these partnerships within its context as a university in Mindanao. Its work remains closely tied to the region’s realities, challenges, and possibilities. Through teaching, research, and community engagement, the University continues to respond to concerns such as development and peacebuilding, while forming communities able to navigate complex social conditions. In this light, these partnerships create opportunities to connect local work with shared efforts across institutions, opening space for collaboration that continues beyond the signing.
Representing these institutions were Mr. Kyle Weatherall, Manager for International Recruitment of Nipissing University; Prof. Dr. Berta Retnawati, Vice Rector for Academics, Students and Alumni Affairs and Acting Rector of Soegijapranata Catholic University; Prof. Say Sok Kwan, Vice President and Associate Professor of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology; Mr. Kobayashi, University President, and Mrs. Sugiyama, Junior College President of Hachinohe Gakuin University; Ms. Janene Barrett, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Philip Fung, Group Director for International Business of the NIET Group representing Charlton Brown; Dr. Parman Sukarno, Vice Rector for Academic and Strategic Planning of Telkom University; and Mr. Ahmed Baghdady, Executive Director for International Recruitment and Market Development of Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology.
The agreements outline several areas of collaboration. These include student and faculty mobility through exchange programs and short-term academic engagements. Faculty members may take part in visiting professorships, guest lectures, and collaborative teaching. The partnerships also open pathways for Transnational Higher Education, including dual degree programs and academic progression arrangements. At the same time, they support virtual engagement through the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).
As Fr. San Juan noted, while the signed agreements provide a framework, “the real substance of these agreements will depend on how we carry them forward—through sustained engagement, through concrete initiatives, and through relationships that we continue to build over time.”
Looking ahead, Ateneo de Davao approaches these partnerships within its context as a university in Mindanao. Its work remains closely tied to the region’s realities, challenges, and possibilities. Through teaching, research, and community engagement, the University continues to respond to concerns such as development and peacebuilding, while forming communities able to navigate complex social conditions. In this light, these partnerships create opportunities to connect local work with shared efforts across institutions, opening space for collaboration that continues beyond the signing.
Published on