by: Naomi B. Boac

In pursuit of globally aligned and future-ready education, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) convened a multi-department Industry-Academe Consultation on September 17, 2024, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at UC Cañao Hall.

The event gathered representatives from Behavioral Sciences, Communication, English Language Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and the Graduate School, alongside their core industry partners, to align academic programs with evolving workplace standards and productivity benchmarks.

The consultation emphasized the integration of industry insights into curriculum development, internship design, and community engagement initiatives, ensuring that programs remain responsive to the competencies required in the modern workforce.

Curriculum Development and PSF Alignment

This initiative strengthens the college’s alignment with the Philippine Skills Framework (PSF) and reinforces its commitment to Outcome-Based Education (OBE) by grounding learning outcomes in real-world skills and industry demands.

A key outcome was the collective commitment to establish department-level Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) that will provide sustained guidance in refining program design and delivery, enhancing graduate employability, and fostering innovation in teaching and learning.

This initiative advances the university’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)—by promoting inclusive, skills-based, and collaborative education that bridges academe and industry. The participants underscored the importance of continued dialogue and coordinated action to translate shared insights into structured partnerships and tangible outcomes that benefit students, faculty, industry stakeholders, and the broader community.