The UP Open University (UPOU) Chancellor, Dr. Joane V. Serrano, received UP Alumni Association (UPAA) representatives in a meeting to discuss potential partnership opportunities. UPAA Third Vice President, Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., UPAA Executive Director Maria Recelyn Marasigan, and UPAA Board Member Maria Ana T. Quimbo shared UPAA’s interest in offering UPOU Microcredentials to UP alumni everywhere in the hopes of helping upskill and reskill them. With Chancellor Serrano is Ms. Anna Cañas-Llamas, Assistant to the Director of the UPOU Office of Public Affairs.
The meeting, held on 21 March 2025 at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, centered on formalizing agreements and expanding educational initiatives.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between UPOU and UPAA will pave the way for alumni to access microcredential courses and MOOCs, with structured learning tracks, including stackable credentials. UPOU certificates will be provided to successful completers, and participants will gain access to alumni networks related to their courses. The UPOU microcredentials are also a way for UP alumni to give back to the university by volunteering for the development courses using their industry expertise.
Other collaborative efforts discussed include the possibility of extending UPAA’s partnership with the Wadhwani Foundation, the PESA Academy, as well as the involvement of UPOU health programs in the “Botika ng Alumni” initiative, which UPAA implements in partnership with the UP College of Pharmacy.
UPOU takes a premium in partnering with similar-minded organizations. This allows UPOU to advance its advocacies, fulfill its mandate, and extend its reach in the service of the Filipino community.
Written by Percia Secreto ♦ Edited by Luisa Gelisan and Anna Canas-Llamas
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