USJ-R is PH rep to UNESCO-Japan ESD teacher ed initiatives

CEBU CITY—Dean Dr. Jestoni P. Babia is currently in Bandung, Indonesia to report on the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiatives in the teacher education programs of USJ-R representing the Philippines. As the sole Ph representative, USJ-R and Dr. Babia will be tasked to be part of the 5th Southeast Asian and Pacific framework committee meeting on ESD to be delivered to all teacher education institutions (TEIs) this coming 2019.

Okayama University Japan with UNESCO is the primary head of the project which expands to Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Other universities who were invited to the said initiatlization meeting are from Mongolia, Cambodia, Thailand, among other countries. The conglomeration of education leaders in different TEIs in the region wishes to hit Target 4 (Quality Education) in the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This year, USJ-R COE launched its ESD program in consonance with the college and university’s promise to be campaigners of sustainability in the country. Its on-going projects are Wide Tree Planting, ESD PBL-Based Programs and Activities led by the Pre-service teachers, Integration of ESD in the Professional Education subjects, and Initiation of ESD Institutions in the entire country. Dr. Babia has also been invited to Japan later this year to be one of the sharers of successful ESD initiatives in a conference. The college is also in the works on ESD-based projects in Cebu and the entire country.

Photo below: The Education leaders invited for the 5th meeting of the Southeast Asia and Pacific ESD Framework Design